No, the Houston Texans are not trading Pro Bowl quarterback C.J. Stroud.
And you think that was ever on the table, general manager Nick Caserio just silenced all doubters with one sentence.
While at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Caserio addressed the setbacks Stroud suffered during the postseason as the Texans fell short once again of making the AFC title game. When asked if the team planned to move off Stroud via trade this offseason, the fifth-year GM didn’t beat around the bush.
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“He’s our quarterback,” Caserio said. “He ain’t going anywhere.”
Stroud, who won the Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2023 after breaking NFL records, has been looking to get back to his Pro Bowl form over the past two seasons. After that dominant first year, regression set in in 2024 and even more in 2025, resulting in three straight divisional round losses.
Most Texans fans and media members gave Stroud a pass since the No. 1 defense served as an anchor of the team’s success amid back-to-back 10-win seasons and wild-card round wins, but everything reached a head when the Texans fell short in the postseason behind a four-interception day from Stroud, including a pick-six that secured a 28-16 win for New England.
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Caserio, who enters a crucial crossroads in his tenure this offseason, said that the team still believes the best is yet to come with Stroud and he has the full support of everyone in the building, including head coach DeMeco Ryans.
“We have a lot of confidence in C.J., we have a lot of confidence in our players, and we’re glad he’s our quarterback,” Caserio said.
While Stroud did struggle in the postseason, he also helped Houston secure the longest winning streak in the NFL to close out the regular season at nine games. He also guided a pair of scoring drives in the wild-card round win against the Pittsburgh Steelers, including finding wide receiver Christian Kirk for a touchdown pass in the second quarter.
With the Texans, Stroud is 3-3 all-time in the playoffs. He’s 28-18 in the regular season. He has completed 63.8 percent of his career passes for 10,876 yards, 62 touchdowns and 25 interceptions. This past year, the team’s 12-wins, Stroud threw for 3,041 yards and 19 touchdowns while also tacking on a pair of rushing scores.
“It’s moronic. Like we’re not trading the guy. He’s our quarterback,” Caserio said. “So, he’s gonna be playing quarterback for the Houston Texans in 2026. Anything beyond that, you guys can speculate on that, but we’re not trading C.J. Stroud.”
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The Texans will at least run it back one more season with Stroud as QB1.
The reality? It was always going to be this way, no matter who spoke from the outside.
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Texans: Nick Caserio won’t trade QB C.J. Stroud entering offseason