Now that the offseason is in full swing, everybody's got their big, bold opinions. And, for the Houston Texans, there's one that seems to rise above the others -- and it'll have fans buzzing, that's for sure.
On a recent episode of the "Fitz & Whit" Podcast, former NFL quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick continued to push the narrative that the Texans should still be considering a trade of quarterback C.J. Stroud at the right price.
Fitzpatrick is a 17-year NFL vet who's played on nine different teams. Thus, he has a wealth of insight and connection that spans across multiple facets of the NFL and each team's organizational philosophies. In this case, this Texans writer will disagree with several premises from his perception of Houston's current dilemma.
Ryan Fitzpatrick's take on the Texans trading C.J. Stroud has some holes in it
First, let's talk Sam Darnold vs. Davis Mills.
Darnold was drafted third overall, while Mills was drafted in the third round. Both landed in dysfunctional situations (Jets, Texans), but Darnold bounced around four different teams before landing in Seattle, while Mills became QB2 in favor of Stroud.
Darnold was then coached by the likes of Kyle Shanahan, Kevin O'Connell, and Klint Kubiak, while Mills has learned under Jerrod Johnson, Pep Hamilton, Bobby Slowik, and Nick Caley.
All that to say, Darnold overall is the better talent compared to Mills, has had the better offensive infrastructure, and he's on a better team. The two are not equal. While Mills did go 3-0 in spot duty as a starter last season, that responsibility is not the same as being the captain of the ship for 17 games.
To note: Darnold went 14-3 in back-to-back seasons and helped engineer a top-three offense in the NFL. Again, the two are not equal.
Trading C.J. Stroud would simply be the wrong move
We're seeing more and more around the league the consequences of impatiently moving off of talent too early (Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield, Mike Vrabel, etc.).
Names like Bryce Young and Trevor Lawrence come to mind as well for guys who just needed more time and better structure around them. Even Geno Smith had a great comeback story for a time.
Stroud is 24 years old and is one of the most accomplished young players in the league today, in spite of recent struggles. He’s gone 28-18 as a starting quarterback, while going 3-3 in the playoffs.
He’s an Offensive Rookie of the Year Award winner and former Pro Bowler, all while accumulating over 10,500 career yards, 62 touchdowns, 25 interceptions and a 93.5 passer rating.
If it was told to Texans fans at the end of the 3-13-1 2022 season that they’d be given a young signal caller who would be instrumental in the team living in the AFC Divisional Round for three-consecutive years while giving them a feasible shot at the franchise’s first Super Bowl berth ever, they would’ve taken it in a heartbeat.
Unlikely happen-stance is not a “proven formula” for sustained success
The reality is, Darnold finding a home with the Seahawks is not something anyone had on their bingo cards at the end of the 2024 season. It took four previous teams, Geno Smith being traded to Las Vegas and a Minnesota Vikings front office mistake to even put those two elements at play in the same offseason.
You simply can’t use that as a template for success, when variables like that don’t line up that way all the time. It was a dream scenario for a Seahawks team that was already trending upwards before Darnold arrived, and even then Darnold needed multiple pitstops’ worth of experiences to even be ready for the moment.
While it’s understandable to consider multiple outcomes and have urgency to change after the Texans’ most recent playoff miss, completely punting on the progress that this very young franchise has made over the last three years would be shortsighted.
The Texans will be fine. They don't need any drastic moves to validate themselves as a franchise right now. They need to make improvements, not opt for total overhauls at key positions.
It's a make or break year for sure, but you don't abandon ship in favor of just having "more assets". Players win championships, not draft picks and salary cap space.
The Texans could have that player on the roster right now in Stroud, they just need to stay patient and give him, and the team as a whole, more time.