In late May, Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud seemed to say plenty about whether or not he could sign a contract extension this summer when he acknowledged that “whatever happens, happens.”
Earlier this spring, the Texans picked up the fifth-year option for 2027 attached to Stroud’s contract. On Tuesday, NFL insider Dan Graziano of ESPN suggested that the Texans won’t be in a rush to financially marry themselves to Stroud on a long-term basis anytime soon.
“It feels like” Texans want to do this with C.J. Stroud
“Eligible for a contract extension for the first time this offseason, Stroud still doesn’t have one,” Graziano wrote. “It feels like the Texans — who are usually early and proactive with their extensions — want to see how 2026 goes before handing that one out. It’s possible Stroud also wants to wait and put himself in a stronger negotiating position with a big season.”
Graziano alluded to the fact that Stroud’s most recent performances hardly screamed “franchise quarterback.” Specifically, Stroud was intercepted five times and lost two of five fumbles over Houston’s two playoff games this past January. He has won three of six career postseason starts, and he seemingly has regressed after he earned Offensive Rookie of the Year Award honors for the 2023 season.
Has C.J. Stroud deserved better from the Texans since rookie season?
“The team hasn’t been able to build him a consistent run game or a reliable offensive line, which could partly explain why he has struggled to regain his rookie form,” Graziano added about Stroud’s uncertain future. “But if he doesn’t bounce back from last season’s disappointing end, then the extension conversations could get pretty awkward despite three straight trips to the divisional round.”
Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens, Baker Mayfield of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Jalen Hurts of the Philadelphia Eagles are three big-name signal-callers who realistically could become available to Houston and other teams next offseason. Perhaps the situations involving those players will have something to do with the Texans keeping their options open if they don’t sign Stroud to an extension before the 2026 season gets underway.
This content was brought to you by: Yardbarker: NFL
