When C.J. Stroud steps onto the football field in the 2026 season, he will look completely different.

Thursday, houston texans In a photo shared by coach Mike “BelieverMike” Lopez on social media, the quarterback was revealed to have ditched his signature braids:

For more context, here’s a video of him getting a haircut at HWQ Hair Studio in the Houston suburb of Missouri City:

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However, it elicited mixed reactions from many fans:

@TexansJacob the halo is completely gone

@TexansJacob bro try to be JSN

@TexansJacob Offseason rejuvenation? The league wasn’t ready for a better Stroud.

@TexansJacob Well, it’s time to grow up

@TexansJacob the Patriots did to him what the Eagles did to Patrick 🤣

@TexansJacob is running out of time to prepare for his second career start as an NFL player. smart person

Stroud had a mixed 2025 season, posting career lows in completions (273), passing yards (3,041) and passing touchdowns (19) while missing three games due to injury. However, he also posted career-best results in the following categories:

  • Completion rate (64.5%)
  • Sacks(23)
  • Yards lost due to sacks (189)
  • Dropped ball (2 times, both recovered by his team)

The Texans got off to a rocky start to the season, losing their first three games and going 3-5 entering Week 9. Still, they won nine in a row and made the playoffs.

Stroud performed well in the wild-card game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, completing 21 of 32 passes for 250 yards and a touchdown on an interception. However, he completely disappeared in the divisional round against the New England Patriots, where he was intercepted four times (including six interceptions). Marcus Jones) for a touchdown. Scored both playoff points Christian Kirk.

Also read: ‘I didn’t see any fight’: LeSean McCoy blasts C.J. Stroud for feeling ‘feeling sorry for myself’ and ‘sweeping around’ after Texans quarterback’s disastrous game

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Hall of Famer Warren Moon believes CJ Stroud will bounce back after poor 2025

The main narrative revolves around CJ Stroud His defense is elite in 2025, and some even claim the Texans are better with backups Davis Mills. However, Warren Moon still had faith in him.

The Hall of Fame quarterback told NBC Houston-area affiliate KPRC 2:

“I think he’s going to come back in good shape. He’s very proud. He worked very, very hard in the offseason. The key is to surround him with the people he needs to make sure he feels really confident and safe. So he has a lot of confidence.”

He also made this suggestion to the coaching staff and management:

“You’ve got to strengthen the offensive line and then make sure your skill staff stays healthy. You’ve got to keep those guys healthy.”

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Stroud was recently invited to play in the Pro Bowl as a backup, but declined the request in order to focus on the 2026 offseason, which officially begins on March 11 when the new league year begins.