After a difficult playoff exit, C.J. Stroud reflects on adversity, focusing on his response to tough games and the lessons learned from a challenging season.
The Houston Texans saw their 2025 season come to an end at the hands of the eventual AFC Champions. Houston lost on the road to the New England Patriots in the Divisional round of the playoffs, falling 28-16. The inclement weather made the game an absolute mess, and Houston's offense struggled immensely as both rain and snow fell throughout the contest.
The biggest storyline from the postseason loss was the performance of young quarterback C.J. Stroud. The quarterback had what was probably his worst game since entering the NFL in 2023, turning the ball over four times while completing fewer than 50 percent of his passes and taking three sacks. The bad performance could not have come at a worse time as the franchise is going to have some contractual decisions to make involving the quarterback, and it remains to be seen whether or not he will receive a long extension or if the organization will just decide to pick up his fifth-year option.
Stroud spoke immediately after the loss, when the quarterback was obviously feeling a bit dejected. Now, enough time has passed for Stroud to process everything that went into the last season. He spoke at The Annual Global Humanitarian Awards on behalf of his foundation, and he touched on the rough end to the 2025 season, "I’m just grateful for the suffering. Not only the suffering that people don’t see, but the suffering that people also do. The last game didn’t go the way I wanted it to. Of course, I wish I had plays back. But I’m okay with suffering in front of people because I know somebody’s gonna see how I respond. We’re all gonna go through bad days. We’re all gonna go through bad moments. I’m gonna have bad plays. I’m gonna have bad games. But my response needs to be in humility, joy, and gratitude because I know my Savior was on the cross for me. He suffered for us.”
Stroud had some moments in the loss to New England that he wishes he could take back, and he addressed that. However, he focused on how he responds to this adversity. He is going to have to wait until the 2026 season to get his get back, and the entire fan base is hoping the quarterback can return to his rookie self, as he had one of the best seasons by a rookie quarterback in NFL history back in 2023.