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Former Tennessee Titans general manager Ran Carthon spoke candidly about C.J. Stroud's future with the Houston Texans.

There are mixed sentiments about C.J. Stroud’s future with the Houston Texans, as the fourth-year quarterback apparently remains on track to play out the 2026 season without a long-term extension in hand.

Former Tennessee Titans general manager Ran Carthon faced off against the Texans twice a year over Stroud’s first two seasons.

Carthon is not among those sounding the alarm on the Texans QB.

Ex-Titans GM Ran Carthon Gets Honest About C.J. Stroud, Texans

Carthon’s Titans went 1-3 against Stroud and the Texans, and the former executive began working as an analyst for CBS Sports last season after he and Tennessee parted ways.

It was on the network that Carthon expressed his confidence in Stroud.

“I don’t think that it’s a make it or break it year for C.J. Stroud. I think he has been good enough. He’s had them in the playoffs,” Carthon said on a recent episode of “CBS Sports HQ,” adding “The consistency thing for all these organizations that are consistently winning right now, is you have consistency at the quarterback position and consistency at the head coach position.

“Last year, did it in the way he wanted it to? Absolutely not. But I think if you look around most teams in the NFL right now, I think they would prefer having a C.J. Stroud on their team versus some of these other clubs.”

Stroud is under contract with the Texans through 2027, thanks to Houston picking up his fifth-year option.

His status is counterintuitive to how the Texans have operated and the NFL with QBs in general.

C.J. Stroud Facing Several Mitigating Factors in Contract Saga

The Texans have extended several of Stroud’s teammates, including fellow 2023 draftee Will Anderson Jr., who received a deal this offseason along with bookend Danielle Hunter. QBs tend to land deals early, though it is not wholly unheard for situations to get complicated.

There are also a host of other factors for the Texans to consider regarding Stroud’s performance over the past two seasons after his stellar rookie year.

Carthon lamented Tank Dell’s absence. Dell has played in 14 games since 2023, all in 2024.

“Tank Dell was an excellent fit for that system,” Carthon said. He was their vertical threat, in which I think that this is what the offense has been missing is that guy that can stretch the field vertically.”

Dell is Stroud’s friend and was his second-favorite target at the wide receiver position behind two-time Pro Bowler Nico Collins.

Significant injuries have left questions about how effective he will be in his anticipated return.

“One name that we don’t talk about, don’t give a love to is Xavier Hutchinson,” Carthon noted, which underscores that the cupboard has not been bare for Stroud and the Texans. “Got him in the sixth round, and he’s a guy that’s been kind of like their fourth receiver. He’s played when other guys have gotten hurt, and he’s also had an impact on special teams.”

C.J. Stroud’s Biggest Hurdle is ‘Mental’

While the Texans’ running game is an easy target when placing blame somewhere other than Stroud, Houston ranked 22nd on the ground during the QB’s rookie season and this past regular season.

Former NFL linebacker Manti Te’o, now an analyst for the league’s flagship network, believes Stroud’s issues are mental and stem from a lack of confidence.

Teo called Stroud the “most intriguing” list of AFC QBs seeking their first Super Bowl win.

“The narrative has always been ‘If C.J. Stroud can just play okay, if he could just be average, with that defense, they would win a Super Bowl.’ Guys, I don’t think people remember how this guy played his rookie year. This is a 2023 Offensive Rookie of the Year,” Te’o said in a video published on May 22.

“If C.J. Stroud can be a glimpse of that C.J. Stroud, with that defense, put the crown on them. Give them the Lombardi. Because you already know what they’re getting on the defensive side of the ball. You know what they’re getting in David Montgomery.”

Teo continued, “That’s the most intriguing part, is C.J. Stroud. If C.J. Stroud–and  everything is up here [points to his head] for C.J. right now. He can throw the ball, he can run. It’s all mental. And I understand that mental gymnastics, when you’ve kind of lost the confidence a little bit. If he can get that swagger back that we saw in 2023, the Houston Texans will be a nightmare for a lot of people, not just on the defensive side of the ball.”

Manti Te’o: C.J. Stroud Lacking ‘Confidence’

Te’o believes Stroud’s issues are “just confidence,” relating the Texans star’s woes to his own journey early in the NFL, where the former second-round pick (2013/San Diego Chargers) said he lacked confidence for his first “three, four years.”

Te’o said when that happens in the pros, “you’re going to go through it.”

“Those demons that you’re fighting in your head are a lot scarier than the ones that’s coming across from you. And when you’re in the National Football League, those ones that are across from you are pretty dang good as well. So, if C.J. Stroud can get back to who he was as a rookie mentally, he has all the physical abilities to be that type of caliber quarterback.”

Whatever the case, the Texans need Stroud to regain his rookie-season form to reach the Super Bowl, and he needs to do it so he can secure a lucrative long-term contract.