Of the many storylines coming off NFL divisional weekend, the poor play of Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud has become one of the biggest.
Most analysts agreed that Houston’s defense this season was generically good, and the players backed that up on Sunday in New England, generating five sacks and three turnovers. The Texans were in position for an upset win in New England (one that ESPN’s NFL Live unanimously predicted) if they could get serviceable play from the offense.
Yet Stroud, a former No. 2 overall pick who has regressed since his rookie season, gave away four turnovers of his own. Stroud also completed less than half of his passes and was hit nine times by the Patriots’ defense.
The performance quickly became a disaster that, by halftime, had the ESPN panel debating his future in the league.
By Monday morning on his radio show, Dan Patrick picked up where they left off, arguing that the former Ohio State star lost significant money this month and should not get an extension from Houston.
“C.J. Stroud, whew. I think he cost himself millions and millions of dollars these last two games,” Patrick said. “Because there is no way I’m going to extend him. I don’t want to make the mistake the Dolphins did with Tua, Kyler Murray. You’ve gotta show me again next year, and even then I’d be a little apprehensive.”
“C.J. Stroud…I think he cost himself millions and millions of dollars these last two games. There is no way I’m going to extend him.”
– DP on C.J. Stroud and the #Texans. pic.twitter.com/wAkwmIv5RU
— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) January 19, 2026
Patrick criticized Stroud’s “terrible” body language and confounding decision-making on the icy Foxborough grass, revealing that he was among the viewers on Sunday evening who thought Texans backup Davis Mills might enter the game.
“If you have average quarterback play, we have the Texans playing against the Broncos with a real possibility of going to the Super Bowl,” Patrick said. “I thought they were going to bring in Davis Mills, I thought maybe just give the offense a little jolt of something there. Because you weren’t out of it.”
The team has to evaluate Stroud, who is going into the fifth year of his contract, on the basis that he lost them a playoff game and a potential Super Bowl appearance, Patrick said. The host cautioned Houston against moving too quickly and ending up in the same spot as Arizona or Miami.
With a legendary defense already in place, the Texans certainly cannot afford to be patient. To Patrick, that means putting pressure on Stroud and waiting on the big extension he is eligible for this offseason.
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