Former Ohio State Buckeyes star QB CJ Stroud is firmly on the hot seat heading into year four of his young NFL career.
The CJ Stroud case study is a really interesting one. He came into the league in 2023 and totally took the NFL by storm.
The Texans lucked out when the Panthers selected Bryce Young first overall while Stroud fell to Houston and set the league on fire. He led the Texans, who were the No. 2 overall pick, to the playoffs, where they took out the Browns in the first round and nearly snuck past the Ravens to go to the AFC Championship Game.
Instead they fell and that was the best football that Stroud has played in his career.
He statistically took a step back in year two, but the Texans still won their division and went into the Playoffs flying high. They beat up on the Chargers in the first round before falling to the Chiefs in the Divisional.
Then, last season, it was his worst statistical year, and he had a couple of injuries mixed in as well. He played in only 14 games for the Texans, but still led them back to the playoffs were they again got to the second round.
He beat up on the Steelers in the Wild Card round before playing one of the worst football games ever in the Divisional round against the New England Patriots.
So, in three years, he has had three playoff appearances and only three playoff wins to show for it. He hasn't been able to get beyond the second round, and last year left a bad taste in everyone's mouth.
His final game of the season against the Patriots was awful. He was 20 for 47 for 212 yards, 1 touchdown, and four interceptions that could have very easily been six picks. He was dreadful, and it was a bad end to the season.
Now, as he enters year four without an extension yet, he has a lot to prove.
NFL on Fox's Henry McKenna listed the top seven quarterbacks on the hot seat heading into 2026, and CJ Stroud is squarely on the list at No. 2 behind Bryce Young. Stroud has to prove that he still has that guy in him from his rookie season.
That year, the Texans were winning because of his play. The last two years, they were winning with, or even in spite of his performance on the field.
The former Buckeye to get back to that rookie year Stroud and do it quickly.
Stroud's hot seat is different than some of the others on that list. His career isn't at risk by any means, but his time in Houston might be, or might just be on the verge of getting very uncomfortable.
Stroud's seat is going to be warm heading into next year. With a couple of really solid performances early on in the year, he will pour a lot of cold water on it. If he gets off to a slow start, more than a few people will immediately refer back to the playoff performance he had last year, and the nerves will start to creep in.
