John McClain — no, not the Bruce Willis character — has put his body on the line for an unexpected wager. He has said he will walk down the street in his proverbial birthday suit if the Houston Texans make a major move involving CJ Stroud.
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Bascially, the man who spent nearly 50 years writing about sports for the Houston Chronicle had no time for rumors about quarterback trades.
"If CJ Stroud is traded I'll walk naked down Kirby Drive at rush hour," McClain posted on X. "Is anyone else willing to do it if he's NOT traded? Didn't think so!"
The comment on social media comes after Stroud's 2025 campaign ended in miserable fashion. The third-year quarterback played two of his worst games during the playoffs, which played a major role in the Houston Texans failing to reach the AFC championship for the first time.
The playoffs opened with a 30-6 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Stroud threw one touchdown, but he also tossed an interception. He fumbled five times, losing two. The defense served as the driving force in this win while scoring two touchdowns.
The playoffs continued with a divisional round loss to the New England Patriots. Once again, the Houston Texans defense put on a performance while forcing three Drake Maye turnovers. Yet, the offense struggled as Stroud threw four interceptions.
The 2025 season marked another decline for Stroud, who won Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2023 after throwing 23 touchdowns and only five interceptions. He completed 64.5% of this throws for 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions. This was the lowest touchdown total of his career.
The decline in play has created questions about Stroud's future with the team. Will the Texans draft a competitor? Will the team trade him to another quarterback-needy organization? Based on McClain's wager, the latter will not happen.
The Texans don't have to make a decision just yet. Stroud has one year remaining on his rookie deal. He will earn $1.145 million while counting $11.5 million against the cap.
Although the team will have to decide in the coming months if they will pick up Stroud's fifth-year option. If the Texans decide to go this route, his base salary will jump to $27.204 million in 2027.
