Texans' C.J. Stroud Focused on Growth After Playoff Collapse

When push comes to shove, Houston Texans starting quarterback C.J. Stroud will have to dig deep and rely on his own God-given talents in order to recover from a career crisis of sorts.

Going through the recurring nightmare of what happened during Stroud's dramatic playoff implosion against the New England Patriots is absolutely essential, but the more deeply important answers will only come over the passage of time.

Stroud is seemingly eager to find those answers to those burning questions himself, which starts with how he approaches the type of adversity he was dealt with due to how this past season ended.

"Of course, my last game didn't go the way I wanted it to go," Stroud said at the Annual Global Humanitarian Awards. "Of course, I wish I had plays back, but I'm okay with suffering in front of people. Because I know somebody's going to see how I respond."

"We all going to go through bad days. We're all going to go through bad moments. I'm going to have bad plays. I'm going to have bad games. But my response needs to be in humility, in joy, in gratitude, because my savior was on the cross for me... I'm so grateful to be in Houston."

C.J. Stroud Now Enters Critical Year Four in Houston

In equal measure of the Texans' quarterback honing his mindset, it will also require Stroud breaking down and rebuilding how he fundamentally looks at playing the game, all of which means less could indeed mean more.

One of the key protagonists in that entire process will ultimately prove to be second-year offensive coordinator Nick Caley, a pivotal figure who at times didn't always appear to be pulling in the same direction as Stroud.

Oct 26, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) jogs off the field after the game against the San Francisco 49ers at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

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Perhaps Stroud needs to dial things down and change out of his superman costume, but that's going to take the leopard truly changing his spots. If you're looking for a rub to the whole deal, Stroud's unflinching faith and way of looking at things will undoubtedly come to bear, and he's already been mapping things out in his own mind.

Stroud's physical talents have always been plain to see, so the tricky ongoing process to get him to play the game from the shoulders up will now hold the major key to the Texans' future Super Bowl hopes.