Former Ohio State Star Quarterback Getting Second Lease on Life in the NFL

The Houston Texans might have a little hiccup at the quarterback position, but by no means are they ready to wave the white flag, according to general manager Nick Caserio.

C.J. Stroud, the 2023 second overall pick out of Ohio State, has struggled in the two years after an impressive rookie campaign that saw him take Offensive Rookie of the Year honors, fueling all kinds of speculation about his future in Houston.

However, Caserio dismissed any notion of trading Stroud away as “moronic”, while speaking to reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.

Caserio also declared: “We're glad he's our quarterback.”

Texans GM general manager Nick Caserio called trade speculation about his quarterback C.J. Stroud “moronic” and insisted the team is “not trading C.J.” pic.twitter.com/NDj0RTnVW1
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 24, 2026

The GM’s blunt remarks confirm that the team is not ready to move on from Stroud -- a two-time Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year -- just yet. The former Buckeye has led Houston to three playoff appearances in three years in the NFL.

Nonetheless, there’s no arguing that Stroud has fallen off a bit after a remarkable rookie season in 2023 when he threw for 4,108 yards and 23 touchdowns against five interceptions, while leading the league with 273.9 passing yards per game.

Since then, Stroud threw for 3,727 yards with 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 2024, and 3,041 yards with 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 2025.

His issues seem to worsen during the postseason. As a rookie, he threw for three touchdowns with no interceptions in two games. In 2024, he only managed one touchdown to one interception, and last year, he tossed two touchdowns to five picks in two contests. Stroud's overall record in the playoffs is 3-3.

This drop in performance has led many to speculate that a trade could be on the horizon for Stroud, who would be entering the fourth and final year of his rookie deal, with a cap hit of around $11.5 million for next season. Houston will need to decide before May 1st if they want to activate the optional fifth-year clause embedded in all first-rounder deals, which would be worth approximately $26.5 million for 2027. While it’s practically a given that Houston will indeed move forward with the fifth-year clause, that doesn’t necessarily mean that Stroud can’t be dealt before the ‘27 season arrives.

Is C.J. Stroud the Houston Texans’ Answer at Quarterback for the Long Term?

While Caserio’s comments seemed aimed at squashing any rumors of a trade before the start of the 2026 season, the Texans’ general manager seemingly left the door open for moving on after this year.

“We are not trading the guy. He's our quarterback," said Caserio on Tuesday. "He's going to be playing quarterback for the Houston Texans in 2026."

Whether that was a calculated statement, or just a slip on Caserio’s part remains to be seen. This is Stroud’s first offseason where he’s eligible for a contract extension, and the Texans could save a lot of money by trying to get something done now instead of putting it off for a year, although there would be some risk involved, too.

A hefty contract extension done now followed by another down season would make it much more difficult for Houston to move on from him next year because of the cap hit.

In any case, the Texans would surely love to see much more of the 2023 version of Stroud in the future, whether they commit to an extension this year or the next.