One Vikings Trade Isn’t Happening
As the NFL Scouting Combine is kicking off, decision-makers around the league are interviewed by media and reporters try to get as much information about the upcoming weeks and months as possible.
One man in the spotlight is Houston Texans GM Nick Caserio, who was asked about his quarterback C.J. Stroud. The passer has surfaced in trade rumors following his subpar postseason outings, which cost the Texans a shot at the Super Bowl. The recent performance, paired with a looming contract extension including a massive raise, made Stroud an unsurprising name in the rumor mill.
Caserio, however, shut that down entirely with some strong language.
“It’s moronic. We’re not trading the guy. He’s our quarterback. He’s gonna be playing quarterback for the Houston Texans in 2026. Anything beyond that, that’s your world. You guys can speculate on that. But we’re not trading C.J. Stroud.”
Nowadays, GMs and head coaches often talk like politicians and avoid giving clear answers. Well, Caserio either didn’t get that memo or trading Stroud is absolutely ruled out. As this is his fourth offseason in charge of the Texans and he’s no longer a rookie, the latter seems more likely.
The executive made a splash in his first Draft, selecting both C.J. Stroud and Will Anderson with top-3 picks. He wanted to acquire two building blocks for the franchise, and it certainly looked like he did in 2023. Stroud was one of the best rookie signal-callers the league had ever seen and Anderson was as good as advertised.
Since then, Anderson has established himself among the elite edge defenders in the business, but Stroud couldn’t continue his meteoric rise.
That was on full display when he turned the ball over seven times in their club’s two postseason bouts.
Caserio defended the first draft pick of his career, “You’re gonna have some good plays, you’re gonna have some bad plays. You’re gonna have some good games, you’re gonna have some bad games. OK, how do you bounce back? How do you handle that? I mean, this league is a one-game-at-a-time proposition, and how you handle it, every situation ultimately is going to determine your success and your longevity. … We have a lot of confidence in C.J. and we’ve got a lot of confidence in our players. We’re glad he’s our quarterback.”
His contract is far from done, however. Given that the salary for starting quarterbacks has reached $60 million per year, the Texans might be smart to wait another year before pulling that lever. Stroud is under contract for the 2026 campaign and the Texans can pick up his 5th-year option this offseason, which would also secure his rights for 2027.
In 46 career games in the regular season, Stroud has completed 63.8% of his passes for 10,876 yards, 62 touchdowns and 25 picks.
With Stroud unavailable, the Vikings have to find their quarterback help elsewhere. The trade market still includes Kyler Murray and Tua Tagovailoa, though both could be released and enter the free agency market. Kirk Cousins is also under contract, but his GM revealed he would be released next month.
Mac Jones has been the focal point of Minnesota’s QB rumors. Still under contract with the 49ers, the NFC foes might be willing to part ways with their backup in exchange for draft capital.
Malik Willis is the top free agency option, but has likely played himself out of the Vikings’ price range, given their salary cap constraints. Other free agents include the group of over-40-year-olds Joe Flacco and Aaron Rodgers, as well as Russell Wilson, Marcus Mariota, Zach Wilson, and Daniel Jones. The latter is expected to return to Indianapolis.
With Caserio issuing a firm denial, any speculative link between Stroud and quarterback-needy teams like the Vikings can effectively be ruled out this offseason.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.
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