Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud had an extremely impressive rookie campaign, which led many people to think that the Carolina Panthers made the wrong choice in selecting Bryce Young over him with the first pick of the 2023 NFL draft.

However, it’s been a struggle since then, to say the least. Stroud has yet to reclaim his elite form from his rookie season on a week-to-week basis, and he had what was probably the worst performance of his NFL career on Sunday against the New England Patriots in the divisional round.

The 24-year-old threw four interceptions in the first half alone in the loss.

“I hate to make this kind of proclamation in the middle of a game, when there are still tons of time left in it. But you simply cannot win in the playoffs with somebody like CJ Stroud, making the sorts of decisions and throws he is making. You just can’t do it,” one NFL analyst opined during the game.

Stroud will be entering his fourth season heading into the 2026 campaign, setting him up for a massive payday should Houston decide to stick with him.

“Assuming the Texans stick with CJ Stroud, this could be a $300 million half of football for him. If it keeps going this way, tough to pay him this offseason, when he’ll be first eligible for an extension. But if he turns it around, and leads Houston back …” Albert Breer wrote.

It turns out the organization has already made its decision, even in the wake of his recent struggles.

Texans sticking with their guy

“C.J. [Stroud] is our guy,” Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans announced after the game.

While loyalty is admirable, the Texans might want to think long and hard about this one before they set the franchise back for the next several years.