Overview
- Cal and Hannah McNair said they are "totally behind" C.J. Stroud during league meetings in Phoenix.
- General manager Nick Caserio has named Stroud the Texans' starting quarterback for 2026, while the team has not exercised his fifth-year option due May 1.
- The fifth-year option would guarantee $25.9 million for 2026 and gives the club flexibility to delay a long-term commitment.
- The public support comes after a divisional-round loss to the Patriots in which Houston had five turnovers and Stroud threw four interceptions.
- Analysts frame 2026 as a defining season for Stroud after a Pro Bowl rookie year was followed by more interceptions in 2024 and fewer touchdowns in 2025.