The C.J. Stroud discourse just reached a new level as of this past week, as Houston Texans-based podcast the Texans Collective took aim at replacement scenarios in the event that Stroud doesn't pan out in the near future.
"Do you guys bother to think about that? If C.J. Stroud's not the quarterback in 2027, has anybody bothered to look ahead to what the solutions would be there?," questioned co-host Sean Pendergast to his fellow analysts and co-hosts in Landry Locker, Cody Stoots and Reginald Adetula.
The collective (no pun intended) answer from the group contained scenarios and alternatives that have already divided sections of the fanbase. Some fans and local media are as out on Stroud as one could be at the moment, whereas others are taken aback by even the sheer mention of Stroud not wearing a Texans jersey for the length of his career.
Texans Collective suggests multiple quarterbacks as replacements for C.J. Stroud
Spearheading the response to Pendergast's question, Locker began his commentary by citing the Los Angeles Rams and their roller coaster of a journey with signal callers within recent years.
"I think there's two things you need if you're gonna function the way that the Rams have for a long time, and the way that the Texans really quite frankly have functioned. You're gonna have to have a quarterback on a rookie contract, or you're gonna have to have an elite quarterback. And the Rams got to a crossroads four years into the McVay/Goff dynamic where, three playoff appearances, one Super Bowl, divisional Wildcard, where they basically said, 'We can't pay this guy, we're pretty good at building a roster, so now we need to go the elite route. We need to make a move."
As a follow up, Locker then brought up options like Joe Burrow and Baker Mayfield in the event that their respective teams end up imploding within the same timeline as Houston's Super Bowl window. He then finished his statement by suggesting that the Texans could look to emulate the bountiful success discovered by head coach Kyle Shanahan and the San Francisco 49ers, as they found their passer of the future in surprise prospect Brock Purdy, who earned the distinction of "Mr. Irrelevant" after being taken as the last pick at 262nd-overall.
As if the train wasn't already of the tracks, Stoots then threw up an alley to himself in the form of current Philadelphia Eagles quarterback and Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts as a not-so-thrilling possibility to replace Stroud. Stoots then finished that oop to himself by bringing up Buffalo Bills quarterback and regular season MVP winner Josh Allen as another route to consider if he and his team continue to "hit the ceiling" in a competitive AFC (Locker even managed a Lamar Jackson cameo on the back end of Stoots' theories).
Fan reactions on social media have run rampant since the episode aired, as multiple Texans fans on X specifically targeted the inclusion of Mayfield as an indicator that the discussion on Stroud is nothing more than "engagement farming". X user Brian (@brian_t97) even mentioned quitting the fandom if that reality ever came to fruition.
In fairness to their conversation, they were purely speaking speculatively about a possible continuation of the regression of Stroud. They were making it clear throughout the dialogue that plenty of loose ends had to be tied up for this to even be something feasible to have to plan for. Additionally, Stroud's prior flashes of greatness have guaranteed that finding any kind of legitimate replacement would require shopping at the very top of the market, which itself makes the prospect of a move a moot point to make.
Still, with the team having come its closest to a Super Bowl berth in franchise history this past season, it's completely understandable that fans and media are still processing the jarring nature by which Stroud and co. missed the mark in the AFC Divisional round.
Make no mistake, it was literally the worst case scenario for Stroud as a player, one that will leave a meteor-sized black mark on his resume until he leads his organization to their first championship ever. Even then, the NFL world will still remember those terrible two games, and how they combined to create the worst two-game stretch for a quarterback in NFL history. And all this coming at the same time as Houston having fielded both the best defense in the league, and the best defense in team history.
The city's scars are still in the healing phase. Thus, we should expect there to be analysis like this in anticipation of Houston's 25th anniversary season in 2026. With that said, Stroud has the ultimate chance to change that narrative in short order.
C.J. Stroud already making strides in year four
If you listen to the multitudes of voices that have spoken on Stroud's development up until this point in the offseason, you'd have heard a collective (pun intended) proclamation of Stroud's increased maturity and ownership of his role ahead of his fourth campaign. Compliments about his weight loss, technical growth at the line of scrimmage and bonding with new teammates have littered the airwaves throughout the early portions of the Summer.
Whether it came from new quarterbacks coach Jerry Schuplinski, teammates Jalen Pitre and Woody Marks or even head coach DeMeco Ryans himself, all signs are pointing towards Stroud understanding the gravity of the moment more so than he ever has before since arriving in Houston three years ago.
While the games still need to be played, Stroud's preparation and preliminary changes are creating an expectation that this season could, and should, be his best as a pro. If it is, Stroud and the Texans can put any speculation of his long-term viability to rest, as a long-term commitment by general manager Nick Caserio and the crew will certainly be soon the follow.
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