The Texans have exercised the fifth-year option of Stroud's rookie contract Wednesday, Field Yates of ESPN reports.
Stroud thus remains under contract through 2027, though his fifth-year option being picked up doesn't necessarily preclude Houston from inking the 24-year-old quarterback to an extension. Trade rumors surrounded Stroud early in the offseason, but GM Nick Caserio doubled down on the team's long-term commitments to the 2023 first-round pick during the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine and the league's annual owners meetings. Across 14 regular-season appearances in 2025, Stroud threw for 3,041 yards, 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions, the lowest TD and yardage totals of his career to date. The case for Stroud to rebound for fantasy purposes next year relies on projecting wideouts Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel to take a step forward in Year 2 alongside No. 1 WR Nico Collins, and potentially also for Tank Dell (knee) to resume producing after missing all of 2025. The Texans also have Xavier Hutchinson, Justin Watson and TE Dalton Schultz (calf) rounding out the receiving corps.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Won't be traded, per GM
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The Texans have no plans to trade Stroud, DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN reports.
Per Bien-Aime, the QB's name surfaced online in trade speculation in the wake of a playoff run that included seven turnovers. However, GM Nick Caserio firmly denied such a possibility Tuesday, while noting of Stroud, "we are not trading the guy. He's our quarterback. He's going to be playing quarterback for the Houston Texans in 2026." Stroud, who was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, is coming off a 2025 regular season in which he threw for 3,041 yards, with 19 TDs and eight interceptions in 14 games. Looking ahead, WR Christian Kirk is the team's most notable pass catcher in line to become a free agent next month, but otherwise Houston's top wideouts and tight ends are on track to be available options for Stroud this coming season.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Overcomes early mistakes to advance
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Stroud completed 21 of 32 pass attempts for 250 yards, one touchdown and one interception while recording a pair of lost fumbles in Monday's 30-6 wild-card win over the Steelers.
Stroud struggled with ball security against Pittsburgh after losing possession of two of his four fumbles in the first half of Houston's wild-card matchup. The Ohio State product tacked on an interception in the third quarter and another fumble that he recovered on the fourth quarter, but the Steelers were only able to generate three points off of the signal-caller's three turnovers Monday. Stroud would settle down behind a dominant performance from his defense (including two defensive TDs) and comfortably guide the Texans to victory in the second half. The 23-year-old will have to clean up those mistakes in the divisional round in order to put his team in position to advance past the Patriots on Sunday.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Delivers two TDs in Week 18 win
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Stroud completed 14 of 23 passes for 169 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 38-30 win over the Colts. He added five rushing yards and a TD on two carries.
With the Texans coming into Sunday with a chance to win the AFC South, Stroud got the start and connected with Jayden Higgins on an 11-yard score before running in a two-yard TD himself, both in the second quarter. With the out-of-town scoreboard not cooperating and the Jaguars winning big, however, Stroud gave way to Davis Mills in the second half. Stroud wraps up the regular season with a career-high 64.5 percent completion rate, along with 3,041 passing yards and a 19:8 TD:INT in 14 games, and he'll be under center in the wild-card round when Houston hits the road to take on the winner of Sunday night's Baltimore-Pittsburgh clash to decide the AFC North.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Plays role of game manager Sunday
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Stroud completed 23 of 35 pass attempts for 187 yards and a touchdown while gaining no yards on four rush attempts in Sunday's 23-21 victory over Las Vegas.
Stroud failed to follow up last week's three-score outing with a more modest fantasy performance in Week 16. The 23-year-old returned to his game-manager style of play in which he protected the football and did just enough on offense to secure victory for Houston. The Ohio State product's modest totals resulted in him failing to extend his streak of throwing for 200 or more yards to four games. Stroud's low ceiling in fantasy makes him a middling option for Week 17 in a road matchup against the Chargers.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Sleeper QBs
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I expected Stroud to play well in Week 15 against Arizona, and he delivered a solid outing with 29.4 Fantasy points. He should have another quality performance in Week 16 against Las Vegas, and the Raiders just allowed Jalen Hurts to score 31.1 Fantasy points in Week 15. For the season, seven quarterbacks have scored at least 21.2 Fantasy points against Las Vegas, and I expect Stroud to add to that total. He should be considered a low-end starter in all leagues.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Sleeper QBs
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This is a good spot to trust Stroud with a home game against the Cardinals, and he's worth using as a low-end starter in all leagues. Stroud has scored at least 22.4 Fantasy points in two of his past three games at home, and Arizona has allowed three of the past four opposing quarterbacks to score at least 23.1 Fantasy points, including Brock Purdy, Trevor Lawrence and Matthew Stafford. Stroud has been a mediocre Fantasy quarterback since returning from a three-game absence with a concussion, scoring 14.6 points or less in consecutive outings against the Colts and Chiefs. But I expect him to end his slump with this matchup against the Cardinals at home.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Avoids mistakes in win
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Stroud completed 15 of 31 passes for 203 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions in Sunday's 20-10 win over the Chiefs. He added two rushes for five yards.
Stroud led the Texans to consecutive scoring drives late in the first quarter and into the second quarter, during which he completed long passes of 46 and 53 yards while also capping a touchdown drive with a nine-yard pass to Woody Marks. He didn't muster much production thereafter, as Houston's only additional score came on a short field as the result of a turnover of downs by Kansas City. Positively, Stroud did not turn the ball over and helped Houston continue to surge toward a playoff spot, though he has only one total touchdown in two games since returning from a concussion.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: QBs to Sit
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Stroud returned from his three-game absence with a concussion in Week 13 at Indianapolis and only scored 9.1 Fantasy points. It will be tough to trust him in one-quarterback leagues at Kansas City, and Stroud has scored 15.7 Fantasy points or less in four of five road starts this season. Now, Stroud did score 20.1 Fantasy points at the Chiefs in 2024 in Week 16, and Kansas City has allowed Daniel Jones and Dak Prescott to each score at least 20.8 Fantasy points in the past two games. But I'm not counting on Stroud to have a big performance Sunday night, and I would only start him in Superflex and two-quarterback leagues.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Strong effort in Week 13 return
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Stroud completed 22 of 35 passes for 276 yards with no touchdowns and one interception while rushing once for no gain in the Texans' 20-16 win over the Colts on Sunday.
Stroud made his return from a three-game absence due to a concussion and looked very sharp despite the multi-game layoff, finishing with his second-highest passing yardage total of the season. He spread the ball around effectively to six different targets, and after rookie Jayden Higgins had built up plenty of momentum while working with Davis Mills in the previous three games, Stroud helped extend his strong stretch of play by connecting with him on five occasions for 65 yards. Now back to full health for the stretch run, Stroud figures to be busy once again in a Week 14 road showdown against the Chiefs next Sunday night.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Another full practice
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Stroud (concussion) practiced fully Thursday.
Back-to-back full practices have Stroud trending toward a return to action Sunday against the Colts. Friday's final injury report will confirm the QB's Week 13 game status, but Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston indicates that the expectation is that Stroud is in line to be officially cleared.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Full practice, still in protocol
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Stroud (concussion) practiced fully Wednesday, DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN.com reports.
Per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston, at this stage of the week Stroud remains in the NFL's concussion protocol, but the QB is expected to be cleared ahead of Sunday's game against the Colts. Friday's final Week 13 injury report is slated to reveal whether Stroud heads into the weekend with a designation, but barring a setback it looks like he's poised to see his first game action since Week 9.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Practicing Wednesday
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Stroud (concussion) participated in practice Wednesday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
The Texans' upcoming injury report will reveal Stroud's official participation level, but Wilson indicates that the QB is expected to clear the NFL's concussion protocol at some point this week. Stroud has missed three straight games, but in the event that he is cleared for Week 13 action, Davis Mills -- who has gone 3-0 while filling in -- would be in line to return to working as Houston's No. 2 signal caller.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Adds/Streamers (QB Preview)
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There is no QB ranked in my top 15 that is available on the waiver wire. But if you're desperate, or have been starting Brock Purdy, then C.J. Stroud is the best option, assuming he clears the concussion protocol. Stroud threw for 318 yards and two touchdowns in his most recent full game and has multiple touchdown passes in three of his last four full games. Playing at Indianapolis I think it's possible the Texans have to throw a little more than they are comfortable with, especially with how ineffective their run game has been.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Remains in concussion protocol
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Coach DeMeco Ryans said Monday that Stroud remains in the league's concussion protocol, DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN.com reports.
Stroud was concussed 22 days ago against the Broncos, so he's been dealing with symptoms for three-plus weeks, an unusually lengthy amount of time, though concussions aren't the same for every player. Ryans said Stroud will start once he clears the five-stage protocol, but it appears as if Davis Mills could get yet another start under center for Houston next Sunday in a very important game on the road against the Colts. Mills is 3-0 in three starts since stepping in for Stroud and has averaged 206.3 passing yards per game with five touchdowns and one interception in that span.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Ruled out for Thursday night
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Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans ruled Stroud (concussion) out for Thursday's game against the Bills, DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN.com reports.
Per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston, Stroud's headaches and sensitivity to light have subsided since he exited the Texans' Nov. 2 loss to the Broncos due to a concussion, but he remains in the five-step protocol and won't be cleared prior to Thursday. As a result, Davis Mills will draw a third consecutive start. Stroud is slated to practice in some fashion Tuesday, and if all goes well he would be on a path to getting cleared ahead of the Texans' Week 13 game at Indianapolis
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Likely to remain out Week 12
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Stroud (concussion) is expected to practice Tuesday, but the quarterback appears unlikely to be available for Thursday's game against the Bills, DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN.com reports.
Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle anticipates that the Texans will list Stroud as a limited participant Tuesday in what would mark his first practice activity of any kind since sustaining a concussion in the team's Nov. 2 loss to the Broncos. Though Stroud still has a chance to clear the five-step protocol before Thursday, the short week definitely works against him. Davis Mills appears headed for a third consecutive start, but Stroud is tracking toward a return in Week 13 versus the Colts.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Listed DNP on Monday
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Stroud (concussion) didn't participate in Monday's walkthrough.
Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle reported earlier Monday that Stroud remained in the concussion protocol, and his lack of activity to begin Week 12 prep indicates that he hasn't made any tangible progress in his recovery. Stroud is trending toward a third straight absence Thursday against the Bills, leaving Davis Mills under center again.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Remains in concussion protocol
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Stroud is still in the NFL's five-step concussion protocol Monda, and his availability for Thursday's home game against the Bills remains uncertain, Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Stroud has missed two straight games and now faces a short week of preparation before Houston's appearance on Thursday Night Football, and he has yet to resume practicing. As such, if Stroud remains a non-participant Monday, it will forecast Davis Mills drawing another start. Even if Stroud gets back on the practice field Monday, there are no guarantees he'll be available Thursday, as before returning to game action the 2023 first-round pick will need to gain full clearance from the concussion protocol, including from an independent neurologist.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Status for Week 12 uncertain
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Stroud, who has been ruled out for Sunday's matchup versus Tennessee due to a concussion, may not be ready to play in the Texans' Week 12 game Thursday against Buffalo, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Stroud suffered the concussion Week 9 against Denver and missed last Sunday's win over Jacksonville. He'll sit out a second straight contest this week, and the quick turnaround for Week 12 could result in him being sidelined for a third consecutive game. For as long as Stroud remains out, Davis Mills will start behind center for Houston.
