Three years ago, it looked like the Indianapolis Colts would be in trouble for a long time. C.J. Stroud looked like a superstar in the making for the Houston Texans, earning a Pro Bowl nod and passing for over 4,000 yards with just five picks as a rookie.
Notably, the former No. 2 pick has failed to come close to those numbers in the following seasons. He’s held the offense back more often than not, and he’s dangerously approaching one-year wonder territory.
Considering that, it’s not much of a surprise to hear that the AFC South rivals are on the fence about potentially giving him a contract extension. Per The Athletic‘s (subscription required) Mike Jones, they’re taking a ‘wait-and-see’ approach with him.
The Indianapolis Colts can end the C.J. Stroud era this season
“While Houston did pick up Stroud’s fifth-year option (for 2027) this spring, the lack of playoff success has given the Texans pause in awarding the quarterback a long-term contract extension,” Jone wrote. “….They’re taking a wait-and-see approach. The Texans need to see more from him this season before committing to him for the long term and making him one of the highest-paid players in the NFL.”
The Colts haven’t necessarily fared well against Stroud, so they would certainly benefit from his departure. He’s got a 5-1 record in six career games vs. the Colts, logging 1,612 yards, eight touchdowns, and just one interception. That said, only one of those wins came against a fully healthy Colts squad, so those numbers should be taken with a grain of salt.
Shane Steichen’s team won’t have to wait long for their first divisional matchup. They’ll host Stroud and the Texans in Week 3, giving them a perfect opportunity to cast even more doubts on whether they should keep their quarterback for the long run.
On paper, the Texans are the team to beat in the division, at least according to national media. That distinction, plus the impending contract extension and all the talk after two disappointing campaigns, will only put even more pressure on Stroud.
The Texans will kick off the season with back-to-back tough matchups against the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals, and with a real chance of starting 0-2, their Week 3 matchup with the Colts will be huge for their aspirations.
Of course, the Colts have some problems and doubts of their own, so that will also be even more of a must-win matchup than usual. Still, knowing that every loss will only push the Texans closer to reboot mode at the most important position in the game should give them more than enough motivation to approach that game as a Super Bowl.
The Texans could afford to spend big bucks on their veterans because their so-called franchise quarterback was on a rookie deal. But now that decision time is coming, whatever they do with Stroud can be the beginning of the end of their once-promising project.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source horseshoeheroes.com ’
