Texans Show Clear Intent to Extend QB C.J. Stroud

Houston Texans General Manager Nick Caserio expects to have a new deal done for quarterback C.J. Stroud sooner rather than later.

Stroud, a former No. 2 pick from Ohio State, is entering the fourth and final year of his rookie contract—a common time to extend productive players on their first contracts. That said, an extension has been a topic throughout training camp and the preseason, and Caserio wants it resolved by Week 1 when the Texans face the Buffalo Bills on Sept. 13 at home in Houston.

“We’ve had productive discussions, I would say,” Caserio told reporters on Tuesday. “And the reality is, ⁠we’ll either get it figured out before ⁠the season starts, and if we don’t get it figured ​out before the season starts, then there’s something we address in the ​offseason. So, you know, whenever it happens, it happens.”

Stroud has been highly effective for the Texans in his first three seasons with a completion rate of 63.8 percent for 10,876 yards and 62 touchdowns versus 25 interceptions. The Texans have gone 28–18 with Stroud under center, and Houston has made the playoffs all three seasons with a 3–3 postseason mark.

Stroud has a four-year, $36.27 million deal with the Texans, and the fifth-year option in 2027 would pay him $25.9 million. That fifth-year option is around half of what his annual market value is, $51.6 million, per Spotrac.

The sports business website projects Stroud as being worth a three-year, $154.82 million deal. Such a deal would put Stroud in the top 13, ahead of Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold, who just won a Super Bowl last season.

Securing Stroud is critical for the Texans’ future as the franchise is enjoying its most successful stretch in history. Houston had never made the playoffs three consecutive years until Stroud arrived, and the Texans enjoyed winning 10 or more games per season for three years straight for the first time in franchise history, which goes back to the inaugural season of 2002.

While Caserio expressed his preference of getting the deal done before the season kicks off, he indicated his team’s flexibility. He alluded to past instances where the Texans have gotten a deal done in-season.

“Every situation is gonna be different,” Caserio said. “I would say, look, once players get into the season, sometimes they want to focus on football and don’t want to worry about dealing with the contract. And, you know, maybe it’s not as clean as some others.”

“So, we’ve done it both ways. We’ve done deals before training camp, we’ve done deals during training camp, and we’ve done deals during the season,” Caserio added. So we’ll see how this goes. I mean, this is my sense. I could be wrong. I’m wrong a lot, so I kind of see how it goes, and keep working through it.”

Stroud’s trajectory is an area of concern. He won the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award in 2023 with 4,108 yards passing and 23 touchdowns. He then only had 3,727 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2024 and then 3,041 yards and 19 touchdowns in 2025.

Durability became a concern last year, too, as Stroud missed three games due to a concussion in November 2025. He played 15 games in his first season and missed two from a concussion in December that year. 

Stroud played all 17 games in his second season during 2024, but his numbers didn’t improve from his rookie season. Similarly, his postseason numbers haven’t improved with 449 yards and three touchdowns as a rookie followed by 527 yards and a touchdown in 2024.

Last season, he had 462 yards passing and two touchdowns. Turnovers were a major concern as he threw five interceptions in that span and lost fumbles twice. 

That said, Caserio expressed confidence that Stroud made strides after the season when training camp began in late July. Stroud likewise indicated his focus when camp started and tamped down the contract noise.

“You have to keep the main thing the main thing,” Stroud told reporters on July 29. “You have to just focus on one day at a time, one play and the football is what’s gotten me to even have the conversation, to be able to get a second contract. I have to focus on football.”