Story by
Vikings QB Rumor Mill Just Got Another Popular Name
- Story by
- Vikings QB Rumor Mill Just Got Another Popular Name
Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
The Minnesota Vikings have made it clear this offseason that they prefer a " deep quarterback room ," a change of pace from last year when the club ignored the QB2 position until landing Sam Howell via trade in the draft. And thanks to Divisional Round weekend , another quarterback has entered the chat, at least theoretically: C.J. Stroud .
Stroud's age, contract window, and Houston 's roster timeline make the chatter feel somewhat possible.
Advertisement
Stroud struggled profusely on Sunday as his team lost to the New England Patriots , who also played poorly. Houston now has no choice but to reevaluate the QB1 spot for the future.
C.J. Stroud Subtly Enters the Vikings QB Conversation
It may be a 2027 offseason talker, but expect Stroud to be in the quarterback carousel if the Texans lose faith in him.
Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud celebrates a late-game touchdown as the fourth quarter unfolds at NRG Stadium, with October 1, 2023, marking a key moment in Houston's matchup against Pittsburgh, capturing Stroud's composure and confidence as the Texans closed out scoring in a high-energy home environment. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports.
A Wretched Performance from Stroud
Stroud posted 4 interceptions on Sunday, while completing 20 passes on 47 attempts for 212 yards and a touchdown. He even threw a pick-six. Because of Houston's second-ranked-in-the-NFL defense, the game remained in the balance for about 2.5 hours. The Texans just needed a quarterback who wouldn't singlehandedly lose the game.
Advertisement
Stroud singlehandedly lost the game.
He told reporters after the loss, "I just feel like I let people down. It hurts, and I'm not used to it. I didn't play my best this year. But I'm gonna respond, keep my chest up, my chin up high, and I'm gonna just keep battling forward."
"If God is before me, who can be against me? I'm just gonna rely on that. I'm just being careless with the football. I've got to get that fixed, and it's something that I know I can do. So I'm going to get that done."
The Regression by the Numbers
Here's all you need to know about where Stroud's career is heading:
Advertisement
C.J. Stroud,
NFL EPA+CPOE Ranking,
Since 2023:
2023: 12th
2024: 28th
2025: 13th
He's all over the place, and in the 2025 postseason, he faceplanted. And in the playoffs, Stroud ranks 24th among the 32 qualifying quarterbacks (120 dropbacks) over the last five years. He's basically held his own in the regular season, sometimes trending in the right direction, but in the playoffs, he's a bottom-tier passer.
Absolutely Terrible Timing
Of course, the timing is just awful for Stroud personally.
In the coming months, his representation would begin talking to the Texans' brass about a contract extension . And if everything were humming for Stroud — as it appeared to be after his rookie campaign — he'd be in line to request $60 million per season. That's the way the market is trending, as salaries increase annually,
Advertisement
Now, though, Houston's management must decide if Stroud deserves an extension at all. It would be mind-blowing for Stroud to sign an extension worth $240 million over the next four years this offseason after his outing against the Patriots.
His capitulation suffered from utterly ruthless timing.
Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud reacts after finding the end zone late in regulation at EverBank Stadium, as December 1, 2024 frames a divisional road test in Jacksonville, highlighting Stroud's poise during a fourth-quarter scoring moment against the Jaguars amid mounting late-game pressure. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images.
On the other hand, CBS Sports ' Tyler Sullivan disagreed with assertions that claimed Stroud's next contract is in jeopardy.
He wrote a counterpoint on Sunday night, "This disastrous postseason comes at a bad time for Stroud, who is extension-eligible this offseason. The knee-jerk reaction to this performance would be that the Texans should not sign Stroud to an extension and/or not ink him to a deal that pays him around $55 million annually with the upper-echelon quarterbacks ."
Advertisement
"That won't happen, however. In all likelihood, the Texans are going to sign Stroud to a lucrative extension this offseason that makes him one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in the league. Why? Because they have no other choice. It's either pay Stroud or reset at the position entirely. While he hasn't given them a ton of confidence that he'll live up to his eventual monster extension, they'll inevitably slide it across the table for him to sign."
Continued Vikings QB Instability Could Lead to Stroud as an Option
Now: about the Vikings. Minnesota has a quarterback question of its own, forced to decide if J.J. McCarthy is its quarterback of the future or if the franchise must pivot and find an alternate route. McCarthy ranked as the NFL's worst passer per the aforementioned EPA+CPOE metric this season, while the 22-year-old has missed 70% of all games in the last two seasons.
Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud loosens up before kickoff by shooting a basketball on the field at SoFi Stadium, with December 27, 2025, set in Inglewood during pregame warmups against the Chargers, offering a glimpse into Stroud's routine and relaxed preparation ahead of game action. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images.
There's a world where Houston determines that Stroud is not the right man to lead them into 2026 or 2027, and then he would be on the trade market. Meanwhile, the Vikings employ Kevin O'Connell, who is credited with helping Sam Darnold reclaim his career, getting the best out of Kirk Cousins in 2023 and 2023, and setting the stage for Nick Mullens to throw for 400 yards at will.
Stroud to Minnesota may not turn white-hot anytime soon, but his sorrowful playoff showing plopped him on the Vikings' radar if McCarthy does not pan out.
