Houston Chronicle’s Jonathan Alexander reports that support for C.J. Stroud “remains strong inside the organization.”

27 February 2026

He adds that the Texans will engage in talks with Stroud’s representation “at some point” about a long-term contract, the expectation is that any potential long-term extension wouldn’t get done this offseason. It’s sensible for the Texans to not get out ahead of the Stroud talks after last year’s playoff flatlining. It’s also sensible for the Texans to look at all 52 games that he’s played, rather than just his last two, when thinking about what they expect from him going forward. The Texans will try to build up around Stroud ahead of the last two years of his rookie contract to see what they can get out of him, and Alexander believes an improved running game should also take some of the pressure off of him.