With Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud failing to reach the heights of his Offensive Rookie of the Year season over the past two years, Houston has appeared to be noncommittal towards the idea of signing their starting passer to an extension. That tone continued early this morning, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2, when general manager Nick Caserio updated the media on the situation, telling reporters that, while there had been “productive talks,” if a deal isn’t “done before the start of the season,” it’ll just become a priority for the next offseason.
After the initial report that Stroud’s fifth-year option was expected to be picked up with talks of a “mega-extension” expected, the tone out of Houston has been a bit less exciting ever since. A month later, rumors indicated that an extension wasn’t expected this offseason and some trade rumors even needed to be shut down. By May, no “serious extension talks” had taken place, and as it became more and more clear that the team was likely going to wait to ink their potential franchise passer, Stroud relayed to the media that that was alright with him as he kept his focus on the field.
Checking back in as July approached, the two sides hadn’t gotten any closer to coming to an agreement, and it was even reported that talks of an extension had been paused. So, while Caserio’s comments may initially be taken to mean the organization is working to make something happen before it’s too late, more likely, Caserio is setting a deadline past which he has no intention of discussing an extension.
The Texans drafted Stroud following a three-year playoff drought that came on the heels of the Deshaun Watson-era in Houston. Since Stroud took over at quarterback, the team has won its division twice — finishing second last year with a 12-5 record — and has not only made the playoffs each year but won a playoff game each year. A lot of that success can (and should) be credited to the improvement of the defense over the last two years as, after Stroud’s promising rookie campaign, the offense has put up middling numbers over that time.
As the No. 2 overall pick in 2023, Stroud won the award for the league’s best rookie on offense after leading the NFL with a yards per game average of 273.9 while throwing 23 touchdowns and only five interceptions in 15 games. In the two seasons following his lone Pro Bowl campaign, Stroud’s yards per game averages have dropped down to 219.2 in 2024 and 217.2 last year. His efficiency suffered a sophomore slump, as well, as he only reached 20 touchdowns in 17 games and his interception total ballooned to 12.
He improved slightly with efficiency in 14 games last year, throwing 19 touchdowns to eight interceptions as a concussion forced him to sit three games in the middle of the year. His analytics in 2025, though, took a hit. According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Stroud graded out as the 31st-best quarterback in the NFL last year out of 38 graded at the position — this compared to ranking 14th in 2024 and 13th in his rookie campaign.
It’s unclear why exactly the Texans are taking their sweet time in committing to a long-term agreement with the Ohio State product. It doesn’t appear as if the relationship is showing any signs of contempt, but Houston has done little this offseason to advertise any urgency in extending its current quarterback.
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