The Houston Texans believed they had found their franchise quarterback in C.J. Stroud, but his play has regressed sharply since his rookie season. While Houston’s generational defense masked some of his struggles during the year, everything unraveled in the playoffs.
Outside of a brief three-game stretch, Stroud endured a difficult season that ended with one of the poorest postseason performances in modern NFL history. The outing has raised serious questions about his long-term security in Houston and is inviting heavy criticism, which is likely to continue throughout the offseason.
Former NFL LB Emmanuel Acho Rips Into “Careless” C.J. Stroud
Stroud was underwhelming throughout the regular season as Houston’s defense carried the team to the playoffs.
The 24-year-old quarterback regressed further in the postseason, and despite the Texans’ 30–6 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card Round, he turned the ball over five times, throwing one interception and losing four fumbles.
Things spiraled even further on Sunday against the New England Patriots. Stroud threw four interceptions, including a pick-six, in a 28–16 Divisional Round loss.
While he took responsibility for the defeat, former NFL linebacker Emmanuel Acho openly questioned Stroud’s long-term future in Houston.
“What we witnessed from CJ Stroud today was an abomination to the game of football,” Acho said. “You realize C.J. Stroud had a 28 passer rating. You could spike the ball on every single snap and still have a 39.6 passer rating.
“The Houston Texans have a generational-caliber defense, and Stroud went out there and wasted it. This isn’t hyperbole. C.J. Stroud threw a ball so inaccurate that his own player got injured trying to catch it. That’s how bad a game he played.”
All four of Stroud’s interceptions came in the first half, and he finished the night completing just 21 of his 47 pass attempts, throwing for 212 yards and a touchdown. Due to his inaccuracy, the Patriots limited the running ability of the team as well, with Jo’quavious Marks averaging just 1.2 yards per carry on 14 runs.
“If you are a Texans fan, you have to question if C.J. Stroud can get it done long-term,” Acho continued. “The only way Texans lost today is because C.J. Stroud did what he did, which is to have so many turnovers that even this generational defense couldn’t overcome…You were acting so careless with the ball like a middle schooler at recess just throwing it up in the alley.”
“What we witnessed from CJ Stroud today was an abomination to the game of football”
– @EmmanuelAcho with some tough words for Texans quarterback CJ Stroud after lackluster performance against the Patriots
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A rookie campaign that saw Stroud finish the season as a top-five quarterback in the league, according to PFSN’s QB Impact Metric, gave the Texans legitimate hope that they had found their franchise quarterback. However, he regressed significantly in his sophomore season, finishing ranked #33.
In 2025, Stroud completed 64.5% of his passes for 3,041 yards and 19 touchdowns, while lowering his interception total to 8 from 12.
He rushed for 209 yards and a touchdown and was sacked just 23 times, a career low. In PFSN’s QBi, he ranked 19th with an impact score of 76.2 and a letter grade of C.
The Texans’ defense is lockdown and was not the reason the team lost; the blame squarely falls on Stroud and the offense.
If he can take a step forward in his development, there is no reason the Texans cannot be a serious contender. But with three seasons now in the books, patience at the quarterback position may be wearing thin.
