Houston Texans' C.J. Stroud Speaks Out on Challenging Season

The 2024 season was nothing short of turbulent for the Houston Texans, and especially so for C.J. Stroud during his second year in the fold.

Despite making his second-straight playoff appearance since entering the league, there were certainly a few bumps in the road on the way there– seeing regression from his Rookie of the Year campaign, being the second-most sacked quarterback in the NFL, and going down in a rough fashion during the divisional round of the AFC Championship vs. the Kansas City Chiefs.

Jan 18, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) is sacked by Kansas City Chiefs defensive end George Karlaftis (56) during the fourth quarter of a 2025 AFC divisional round game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

However, despite the challenging season in the rear view mirror, it seems Stroud is embracing the adversity that's come his way over the past year, and looks extremely motivated for a better showing in 2025.

During an interview with Kay Adams at Fanatics Fest in New York, Stroud broke down a bit of his thoughts on how he feels last season has prepared him for the one ahead, noting one major takeaway to gather: not to be scared of failure.

“For me, something that I've learned in life is you can't be scared of failure," Stroud said. "The only chance you have to be successful is to try. And sometimes, it comes with successes, sometimes that comes with failures. The more that I fail, and still do well in those failures, the more confidence I gain... Last year was very, very, very helpful for me & my development.”

CJ Stroud on the 2024 season to @heykayadams at @FanaticsFest:

“The more that I fail, and still do well in those failures, the more confidence I gain.. last year was very, very, very helpful for me & my development.” pic.twitter.com/XQoBXjsHPs
— Houston Stressans (@TexansCommenter) June 23, 2025

It was far from a disaster of a season for Stroud, one where he finished with 3,727 passing yards, 20 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions on a 63.6% completion percentage, but definitely one that could see some strides forward for the year ahead.

Based on Stroud's comments, he seems prepared to take on that positive progression, and as seen during his rookie sample size no more than two years ago, we know he's more than capable of putting the pieces together to be among one of the best young quarterbacks in the NFL.

Thanks to a fresh supporting cast to surround him and an offseason of rest to get recalibrated, the stage could be set for a big-time bounce back from Stroud and this offense.

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