C.J. Stroud’s next contract with the Houston Texans remains unresolved, with the quarterback seeking about $60 million per year and the team currently offering approximately $50 million, according to an analysis published by fansided.com. The gap comes as Houston evaluates Stroud’s recent production and playoff performances.
Stroud’s rookie season included 4,105 passing yards, 23 touchdown passes and five interceptions, the article states. Over the following two seasons, he passed for more than 3,000 yards in each year but did not exceed 20 touchdown passes, while throwing more interceptions than he did during his first season.
The Texans have exercised Stroud’s fifth-year option, keeping him under team control through the 2027 season. The article says Houston has indicated that an extension would be pushed to the next offseason if an agreement is not reached before the team’s season opener. That game is scheduled for 1 p.m.
Sunday. The two sides are described as roughly $10 million apart, although the article notes Stroud has more time remaining on his current arrangement than Baker Mayfield had during his recent negotiations with Tampa Bay.
The analysis also raises questions about Stroud’s postseason performance. It attributes Houston’s playoff losses to Pittsburgh and the New England Patriots in part to quarterback mistakes, and says Stroud will need to improve in 2026 to strengthen his case for a contract in the NFL’s highest quarterback salary range.
