After an electrifying rookie season, Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud has quickly come back down to earth. Following his recent postseason collapse, NFL fans have started questioning his future as the franchise’s signal-caller. In fact, one former NFL quarterback went as far as to suggest potential trade packages for the 24-year-old.
Former Fan Favorite QB Suggests a Change of Scenery for C.J. Stroud
On Wednesday afternoon, on the NFL podcast Fitz & Whitz, featuring Ryan Fitzpatrick and Andrew Whitworth, the duo discussed Seattle’s blueprint for winning Super Bowl 60Â and which teams could replicate it.
Fitzpatrick and Whitworth noted that Seattle moved on from both Geno Smith and DK Metcalf, allowing them to allocate their assets to a strong defense and to a cheaper QB in Sam Darnold ($33.5 million per year).
The conversation then shifted to Stroud and the Texans, with Fitzpatrick stating, “You can’t tell me that there aren’t teams that are out there, that would trade two first-round picks, and some more things for C.J. Stroud.”
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Fitzpatrick added, “You’re telling me the Arizona Cardinals wouldn’t be interested in that? Or the Jets? or the Dolphins? or the Steelers? or the Browns? or whoever it is.”
He then proposed two options the Texans’ general manager, Nick Caserio, may be considering: “Davis Mills at $7 million, and a bunch more draft capital, or I can have no additional draft capital and C.J. Stroud at $60 million.”
Fitzpatrick closed by saying that watching the Seahawks’ playoff run, powered by their dominant defense, will force Caserio and the Texans’ staff to have uncomfortable conversations.
In 14 appearances in 2025, Stroud posted a 9-5 record while averaging 217.2 passing yards and 1.4 touchdowns per game. As for Mills, he started three games in Stroud’s absence. The backup won all three while throwing for 239.7 yards in a contest and 1.7 touchdowns.
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Although the stat sheet favors Mills in his small sample size, PFSN’s NFL QB Impact metric appears to disagree. According to the ranking, Mills sits 38th among all QBs in 2025, while Stroud ranks 19th.
Then again, the concern lies with Stroud’s postseason play: the third-year QB scored only 2 touchdowns compared to 7 turnovers in the Texans’ 2 playoff matchups this season.
Now that C.J. Stroud has become extension-eligible, the Houston Texans will soon have to decide if he truly is their franchise quarterback of the future. His rookie season alone may have earned him a lucrative contract, but if Houston keeps the Seattle Seahawks’ Super Bowl blueprint in mind, they could instead turn to the cheaper Davis Mills while continuing to build through their dominant defense.
