The former second overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft has emerged as a top-level passer in the NFL, but can he finally put it all together for a signature season in 2026?
By Matthew Serocki | May 22, 2026
The Carolina Panthers picked Bryce Young first overall in the 2023 NFL Draft. With the second pick, the Houston Texans drafted CJ Stroud. The two stars will be forever linked to each other, as most quarterbacks drafted in the first round always are.
Both players enter a pivotal fourth year at the helm of their teams. Each squad is coming off a playoff appearance in the 2025 season. Despite an 8-9 record, Young guided the Panthers to an NFC South crown and the postseason.
For Stroud, however, it was the norm as he made the playoffs in his rookie season. He led the Texans to a 45-10 trouncing of the Cleveland Browns in that year’s divisional round of the playoffs.
Stroud has proven to be a steady enough hand to manage the Texans, but he’s been backed by one of the NFL’s stingiest defenses over the last few seasons. Head coach DeMeco Ryans installed his scheme after a stint as the defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers.
The Texans’ defense allowed only 277.2 yards a game to opposing offenses, leading the NFL in 2025. It was a full yard better than the Denver Broncos. Houston ranked fourth against the run (93.7 yards/game) and sixth against the pass (183.5).
The defense clearly carried the team. The offense wasn’t as formidable, sitting closer to the middle of the pack. Stroud led the offense to approximately 218 yards passing/game and 108 yards on the ground.
Those numbers have been good enough to get to the postseason in each of his three seasons, but 2026 is certainly a make-or-break season for the former Ohio State product. Stroud has been given every chance to succeed, and to a point, he has.
Only seven quarterbacks per conference can brag about making the postseason, and Stroud can make that claim in each of his seasons. The issue, however, is that Stroud has to do more than he has for the Texans to truly ascend even higher.
Jacksonville shocked the world last year by winning the AFC South. Indianapolis was on fire for most of the season, but Daniel Jones fell back to earth. The Colts’ season ended, but they have to be hungry after last year’s finish.
Tennessee has a new head coach in the imposing Robert Saleh. The defense will be better, but the offense could be only average or remarkably better under Brian Daboll. Stroud’s lead in the AFC South has evaporated.
While the Texans made the postseason in 2025, they played one of the ugliest games of the year in their 28-16 divisional round loss to eventual AFC Champion New England Patriots. Both sides relied on their defenses, but Stroud’s performance was legendary for the wrong reason, as he completed 20-of-47 passes for one touchdown and four interceptions.
He was only sacked three times, but was missing wide receiver Nico Collins. Regardless of that playoff performance, Stroud needs to do more than he has in his career. He missed three games last year, finishing with 19 touchdowns, 8 interceptions, 3,041 yards, and a 92.9 rating.
The former Rookie of the Year may have peaked in his rookie season, as he averaged 273.0 yards passing per game. He tossed 23 touchdowns to only 5 interceptions. The problem is he’s never thrown for more than 25 touchdowns, but he may need to if he and the Texans hope to make the postseason in 2026.
Fans know that Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, and Lamar Jackson are the top quarterbacks in the AFC and are among the best in the NFL. Drake Maye was the runner-up in the MVP race and could officially join that class with a solid season.
The issue for Stroud, however, is that he needs to up his game to come close to those other names. If he doesn’t make significant leaps this year, he may remain what he’s been in his career so far – a middle-of-the-pack quarterback playing on a team with a top-level defense. If he is content with that spot, then the Texans probably won’t go as far as they’d like.
