Every fanbase has a personality. An underlying tone that spans across seasons and generations, whether good or bad. Eagles fans are rowdy and demanding. Cowboys fans are arrogant and delusional. Browns fans self-pity. Raiders fans are proud and intense. Texans fans? Well, Texans fans are pessimistic. We’re always waiting for the other shoe to drop and for the team to fall apart. This sentiment remains true even while Houston is coming off its first ever back-to-back-to-back Divisional Round appearances.
The team’s potential has arguably never been higher, yet the sentiment around the team is impending doom. There’s too much “I’ll believe it when I see it” mentality for a club that’s competing at the highest level in the sport. Most of the fans would swap their team’s plight for Houston’s position any day. We’ve got a QB on a rookie contract, a defense that’s at the height of its dominance, and a young core powering the entire team.
How does this mindset take hold? Well, over the years the lows have been… low. Multi-year rebuilds, incompetent front offices, and QB carousels have sown discontent among the fanbase. But now, the city has a legitimate reason to believe in the team, yet shows no sign of excitement, anticipation, or optimism. We as a fanbase should celebrate how far we’ve come in such little time. Or, should we give Jack Easterby a call to see if he wants to run it back.
Much of this surrounds C.J. Stroud’s regression and woeful playoff performance. Has he declined since his rookie season? Yes. Has the situation around him not been perfect? Absolutely. Did he completely, utterly collapse during the playoffs? Certainly.
All that is true and can’t be argued. What’s also undeniable is he has been at the helm throughout this unprecedented run. The offense isn’t perfect, but it is light-years better than what it was four seasons ago.
For the number of years we’ve spent toiling and spinning our wheels waiting for a QB, we should absolutely get behind and support Stroud.
The alternatives are 1) we tear down everything to roll the dice on a rebuild around a rookie QB, 2) overpay for an over-the-hill veteran whose own team passed on him, or 3) pay an exorbitant cost of draft and salary to acquire a top-end QB. All of those options pale in comparison to Stroud actually succeeding and being paid appropriately in two seasons. Fans, we are in the best-case scenario as is and, we need to embrace it.
From a roster standpoint, he has everything he needs to succeed now. Houston has 20 of 22 starters under contract for two seasons. That’s an unbelievable accomplishment by Nick Caserio. For the first time in a decade, we should have roster continuity. Fans can go buy a jersey and know the player will be here next season. The roster is deep, possesses elite talent, and isn’t going anywhere.
Reason to hope? Yes, but the fanbase has a reason to believe.
I truly believe teams take on the personality of their fans. The fanbase can provide a player a longer leash given their sentiment and exclamation about him.
Back in 2022, the Philadelphia Phillies signed Trea Turner to a blockbuster deal worth $300M over 11 years. Turner stumbled out of the blocks the next season and was met with immense criticism and booing. However, in the video below, you’ll see one fan’s social media post shift the fans’ mindset to cheer on Turner instead of booing him.
Texans fans need to give C.J. Stroud the Trea Turner experience. The fanbase should rally behind their quarterback, not pile on more pressure than he is already under.
The kid is 24 years old, he’s going to struggle at times, lose his composure, and feel the weight of criticism. He’s obviously a player who is deep in his own head and clearly pressing. Stroud is not the first QB to struggle under the bright lights and won’t be the last. This is not the time for fans to be calling for his demotion. We should instead be propping up Stroud and reveling in this short period where we have an above-average QB on an extremely friendly contract. What’s the point of being a fan if we can’t root for our players and embrace winning?
Am I advocating for accepting mediocrity? Absolutely not. We have to hold hard-working talent to a high standard. But that standard does not have to come with negative criticism every time they underperform, even on the biggest stage.
German philosopher Johann Goethe once said, “Treat people as if they were what they ought to be, and you help them become what they are capable of becoming.” I truly believe if this fanbase can pivot its worry and criticism into belief and support of the young star, it will turn his career around. We all win if Stroud succeeds.
