Since the Houston Texans began operations in 2002, this most recent three season stretch is the only such run in franchise history in which the team made the Playoffs for three consecutive years. But of course, professional football in the city of Houston predates the Texans. Not too long ago, fans in H-Town got to enjoy a seven-year run in which the Oilers were Playoff bound, and the man leading that charge was nine-time Pro Bowl quarterback Warren Moon.
It's worth noting that while the history of the Houston Oilers technically falls in the jurisdiction of the Tennessee Titans, it seems as though most former Oilers belong just as much to the Texans as they do the Titans. Sure, Warren Moon signed off on Titans rookie quarterback Cam Ward wearing his #1 jersey before the start of the season, but Moon has been just as involved in mentoring Stroud, who he shares a handful of similarities with.
Warren Moon and CJ Stroud both grew up in California before arriving in Houston to begin their NFL careers. While Stroud thrived right out of the gate, leading the Texans to the postseason in each of his first three NFL seasons, Moon's ascent was a bit more of a slow burn. Over his first three seasons, Moon accumulated a 12-33 record as the Oilers' starter, and his 40 touchdown to 59 interception ratio left a whole lot to be desired.
But over the final seven years of his tenure in Houston, Warren Moon never finished a season with a losing record again, guiding the team to the Playoffs each of those seven seasons. Like Stroud, however, Moon was never able to get the Oilers over the hurdle of the Divisional Round. Unlike Stroud, the Oilers exit from the postseason was never pinned squarely on the shoulders of Moon following a pair of games with 4 turnovers.
This is the situation Stroud finds himself in as the offseason approaches, and the pressure for the 2023 Rookie of the Year to regain his form will be the number one storyline in Houston heading into the 2026 season that doesn't include the words 'contract extension.'
Despite a horrendous two-game stretch that started on the road in Pittsburgh and ended with a 28-16 loss in New England, Warren Moon continues to believe that the best is yet to come for the 24-year-old quarterback.
“I think he’ll come back really well,” Moon told Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston. “He has a lot of pride. He works very, very hard in the offseason. And the key is to get the pieces that he needs around him to make sure he feels really confident and really secure. So he’s got a lot of confidence. You’ve got to beef up that offensive line and then make sure your skill people stay healthy. You’ve got to keep those guys healthy.”
To Moon's point, the Texans offense did deal with plenty of injuries, especially late in the season. Nico Collins, Stroud's number one target in the passing game, missed Houston's Divisional Round loss to the Patriots due to a concussion. Two starting offensive linemen departed in the loss as well. Houston's leading leading rusher (Joe Mixon) and second-leading receiver (Tank Dell) from the 2024 season both missed the entire 2025 season.
These injuries don't explain away all of Stroud's up and down play, but it can't be ignored that Stroud wasn't playing with a full deck all year long. Even the best quarterbacks in the National Football League might struggle to overcome that.