The Houston Texans face a challenging decision this offseason regarding their starting quarterback, C.J. Stroud, whose future with the team will be evaluated ahead of March 11, when the league year officially begins. Though Stroud’s rookie season was historically impressive, his subsequent performance and recent health issues have raised significant concerns, especially around what is now being perceived as CJ Stroud concussion concerns.
Stroud’s rookie campaign set high expectations, but his statistics and on-field tendencies since then suggest a complex picture that has Texans observers and former players worried about his long-term trajectory, particularly after sustaining multiple concussions.
Former Texans Defender Voicing Worries About Stroud’s Playing Style Post-Concussion
C.J. Stroud posted a 64.5% completion rate, 3,041 passing yards, 19 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions during the 2025 regular season, yet his postseason performance showed a drop with a 51.9% completion rate and just 2 touchdowns against 5 interceptions. Despite these figures, it is Stroud’s use—or reduced use—of his mobility that alarms former Texans defensive tackle Seth Payne, now a Houston SportsRadio 610 host.
C.J., as a passer, after his concussion, was still operating–he was doing some good things as a passer. Ane he had some moments, even in games where he didn’t look great for the first three quarters statistically, the biggest thing that you want to see–or at least you can point to–is, man, the clutch moments he had in fourth quarters to win games at times,
Payne told co-host Sean Pendergast on Payne & Pendergast on February 20.
You can’t take that away from where C.J.’s ceiling is. He has the ability to really make some great plays in clutch moments. The fact that he just ran … so minimally after his concussion, and then, the fact that in both the Steelers game and the Patriots game, he just did not look comfortable when pressured in the pocket, and some of the pressing, some of the turnovers that he made in both those games were, like Ross Tucker said yesterday, every turnover tells its own story.
Payne expressed particular concern if Stroud’s reduced rushing attempts relate to concussion aftereffects, emphasizing the potential risks ahead.
related at all to the concussion, that’s what makes me nervous.
Stroud experienced his second career concussion in 2025, resulting in three missed games. Payne observed a shift in Stroud’s playing style post-concussion, contrasting it with the increased mobility Stroud showed after his first concussion the previous year.
He had the first one, he came back from it, turned into a guy that ran more liberally the next season. But now, this is his second concussion. It seems to have gotten into his head; pardon the pun. And is that something that has lingering effects next September?
In fact, Stroud recorded the second-highest rushing attempts and yards of his career in the 2025 regular season, yet his rushing attempts dropped from an average of 3.6 per game before his concussion to 3.2 after returning, and plunged to 1.5 per game during the postseason. Historically, Stroud has never been a quarterback who relies heavily on his legs, averaging fewer rushing attempts in victories (2.9 per game) compared to losses (3.1 per game) with the Texans.
Texas Texans Face Pressure as Decision on Stroud’s Contract Approaches
As the Texans consider whether to pick up Stroud’s fifth-year option, analysts warn that this decision carries high stakes due to the quarterback’s mixed performance. The potential long-term contract, reportedly projected to pay around $55 million annually, places heavy expectations on Stroud’s development, making his recent struggles all the more significant.
Trade rumors have surfaced despite no openness from either Stroud or the Texans regarding such a possibility, reflecting the uneasy position both sides occupy.
Over the last two seasons, Stroud’s completion percentage is worse than Kirk Cousins over that stretch, his yards per attempt are below Geno Smith’s, and his passer rating is below Kyler Murray’s,
CBS Sports’ Tyler Sullivan noted on February 20.
This is hardly the trajectory a team wants to see when considering making him one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in the league on a contract that’ll likely pay him somewhere in the range of $55 million per season.
Sullivan also remarked that the Texans delaying a decisive move places Stroud under increased scrutiny, a situation rarely allowed to unfold without intention by an NFL team.
Texans Teammate Offers Support in the Face of Criticism
Despite mounting questions around Stroud, Texans tight end Dalton Schultz, who joined the team alongside Stroud during his rookie season, has openly supported the quarterback. Schultz, recovering from a calf injury sustained in the AFC Divisional Playoffs, defended Stroud during an appearance on the Ross Tucker Football Podcast on February 18 and rejected criticism from former NFL quarterback Troy Aikman, who claimed Stroud has not been the same since his rookie year.
Schultz maintained that Stroud has continued to develop as both a player and a person, emphasizing that he is not “trigger-shy” and highlighting consistent support from his Texans teammates.
C.J. Stroud after returning from a concussion had some really good moments, but @SethCPayne could tell something was different. pic.twitter.com/fZ2OwfZUvG
— SportsRadio 610 (@SportsRadio610) February 20, 2026
