New NFL Rumors on C.J. Stroud's Leadership of Texans Amid Contract Buzz Ahead of 2026 Season

Ahead of the start of the 2026 NFL regular season, there is reportedly a belief among those close to Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud that he is coming into his own.

According to Jeff Howe of The Athletic, people around Stroud feel he "made a jump as a leader this offseason," and that he "has taken more ownership of the offense."

Stroud, who turns 25 in October, is preparing to enter his fourth NFL season on the heels of going second overall in the 2023 NFL draft.

While Stroud is under contract through 2027 due to the fifth-year option in his rookie contract, there is little doubt that he will be seeking a new deal leading up to the 2027 campaign.

After his rookie season, it seemed like a virtual guarantee that Stroud was eventually going to become one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in the league.

He went 9-6 as the starter that season and led the Texans to a surprise AFC South title. He also threw for 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns and just five interceptions en route to Pro Bowl and NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.

Although Houston made it back to the playoffs in both 2024 and 2025, Stroud's individual play seemed to regress.

In 2024, he threw for 3,727 yards, 20 touchdowns and a career-high 12 interceptions, and he followed that up last season with a career-low 3,041 yards to go along with 19 touchdowns and eight picks.

The bigger issue for Stroud has been poor play in the playoffs over the past two seasons. In four postseason games in 2024 and 2025, Stroud went 2-2, completed 58.6 percent of his passes and threw for 989 yards, three touchdowns and six interceptions.

Five of those interceptions were thrown in last season's playoffs, including four in the Texans' AFC Divisional Round loss to the New England Patriots.

The Texans undoubtedly need more out of Stroud this season if they are going to take the next step forward and if they are going to make a massive commitment to him as the franchise quarterback for years to come.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported last week that Stroud is likely to play out the 2026 season without a new contract despite the Texans being "prepared to put Stroud in what it feels is a strong place among the 12 quarterbacks in the $50 million club."

Whether Stroud belongs in the group of quarterbacks making at least $50 million annually is very much up for debate, but he has a chance to remove any doubt with a bounce-back season in 2026.

The first step begins Sunday when the Texans host the Buffalo Bills in Week 1 of the regular season.