Troy Aikman Delivers Harsh Truth Bomb On CJ Stroud’s Regression & Future With Texans [VIDEO]

CJ Stroud has left everyone wondering what happened to him after his dynamic rookie season.

The ABC/ESPN crew of Joe Buck and Troy Aikman was on call for the New England Patriots and Houston Texans Divisional Round game. Houston saw their season end against the Patriots in Sunday’s divisional round. Stroud failed to deliver as his team’s playoff hopes hung in the balance.

Somehow, he was even worse in this game than he was against the Steelers. Fans believe his downfall was in his second year when he gave advice to Caleb Williams. CJ Stroud finished with 212 passing yards, one touchdown, and four interceptions in the 28-16 defeat. All four of his interceptions came in the first half and dealt devastating blows to Houston’s morale.

Many called for him to be benched, but DeMeco Ryans kept him out there. The Texans only managed to score a pair of field goals in the second half. Houston is now 0-7 all-time in the divisional round, and their latest playoff loss might have the franchise mulling over whether Stroud is the franchise QB.

ESPN’s Troy Aikman didn’t mince words about Stroud’s play on the field.

“I will say this, Joe. DeMeco Ryans and [GM] Nick Caserio, they’ve got some tough decisions they gotta make about this team on the offensive side of the ball,” Aikman said on the broadcast. “They replaced Bobby Slowik last year, after his two years as the offensive coordinator. C.J. Stroud has been chasing his rookie success for the last two years. He’s not been the same player. We’ve not seen the development from him. There’s a reason for that, and it has to be addressed.”

Troy Aikman: "C.J. Stroud has been chasing his rookie success for the last two years. He's not been the same player. We've not seen the development from him. There's a reason for that, and it has to be addressed." 🏈🎙️ #NFL #NFLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/nmAgXfxItQ

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 18, 2026

The Houston Texans Have A Huge CJ Stroud Problem

CJ Stroud struggled badly during the Houston Texans’ 28-16 loss to the New England Patriots. Stroud certainly was a star as a rookie. He was named the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year. It came after completing 63.9% of his passes for 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns, and five interceptions.

He led the Texans to a seven-win turnaround and a playoff win. It inspired hope in him and the franchise. Instead, Stroud has not gotten better. He has gotten the Texans to the playoffs in each of his first three seasons, but has never advanced past the divisional round.

During this year’s postseason, Stroud struggled mightily. He turned the ball over a whopping seven times across two games and posted a passer rating of just 51.77. He also threw a whopping 4 interceptions, completed only 50% of his passes, and posted a passer rating of 28 in Houston’s 28-16 loss.

“C.J.’s our guy,” Ryans told reporters after the game....