C.J. Stroud Reportedly Wants Texans to Sign Browns Free Agent

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud could have his eyes on one particular Cleveland Browns free agent.

According to KPRC2's Aaron Wilson, C.J. Stroud would reportedly like to play with free agent offensive guard Wyatt Teller, who also has an interest in signing with the Texans.

"Wyatt Teller is interested in the Texans. I've heard C.J. Stroud would like to play with him. We'll see if that makes a difference with Nick Caserio. It always comes down to price."

Teller is an eight-year veteran who was a fifth-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft to the Buffalo Bills, where he had spent one year before being traded to the Browns in 2021, and has since started 94 regular season games for the franchise across the past seven years.

Now at age 31, he'll have an opportunity to sign elsewhere on the open market, and could be in to get a nice payday as he's been a steady veteran on the interior for the past several years.

The Texans, a team currently in the midst of re-working their offensive line throughout this offseason, could be an ideal destination for Teller to target, and according to Wilson, Houston appears to be a place at the top of his mind as a potential place to sign for 2026.

Could Texans Sign Wyatt Teller?

Sep 14, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Cleveland Browns guard Wyatt Teller (77) during the game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images | Peter Casey-Imagn Images

It makes sense from Stroud's perspective to want a guy like Teller on the interior of his offensive line for next season.

Considering Houston has just moved off from their previous veteran left guard, Tytus Howard, via a trade to the Browns, getting another tenured veteran to fill that spot on his left side would be a logical replacement.

Teller might not be as versatile as a guy like Howard can be on the offensive line, and doesn't have the same experience in the building like he did either. But as a plug-and-play guy to fill the void left over, it'll be tough to find someone that's a more appealing and realistic fit than the Browns' free agent.

Within the past two seasons, Teller has only played 26 games due to injury, but throughout his most recent 2025 campaign, he finished the year with a 62.2 overall grade via PFF (40th/81 eligible guards), ultimately excelling as a run blocker with a 65.7 run blocking grade.

Of course, the Texans will need the right price on a deal to land that upgrade on the interior, and they'll still need to free up some cap space on the books to make that possible. But with the recent restructure done for Derek Stingley, combined with the pending cut of Joe Mixon and a couple other restructures around the roster, that money can come alive rather quickly.

If and when that flexibility can come to form, expect the Texans to be aggressive, but not reckless, in their pursuit of veterans to add to their offensive line for next season, perhaps with Teller being a top name to watch in the pool of possible candidates.

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