Houston Texans News

Home

Quizzes

Watch

Newsletter

Jan 18, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) is sacked in the second quarter against the New England Patriots in an AFC Divisional Round game at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

CJ Stroud Contract Is Trending On Google

Originally posted on Stadium Rant | By Wayne Gregoire | Last updated Jan 18, 2026 10:05 PM ET

In the minutes and hours after the Houston Texans fell to the New England Patriots 28-16 in the AFC Divisional round, “CJ Stroud contract” was one of the most searched terms on Google. It seems that, given his less-than-ideal performance, fans in the Texas region were curious how much longer he would be their quarterback. The good news for them is that he has one year remaining on his rookie deal, with a team option for 2027. The bad news is, Houston will exercise the option and give him a huge extension.

The Good

Since being taken with the second overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Stroud has started 46 games, posting a record of 28-18. The Texans have made the playoffs every year of his tenure and won in the Wild Card round every year as well. In his rookie season, he ran away with the Offensive Rookie of the Year award, completing 63.9% of his passes for 4,108 yards and 23 touchdowns to just five interceptions. His 273.9 yards per game led the NFL, and his 100.8 passer rating was good for sixth-best.

Stroud had a bit of a sophomore slump in 2024, or more like a sophomore mini dip. He completed 63.2% of his passes for 3,727 yards (219.2 per game) with 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. His passer rating dipped to 87.0, but he did lead the team to the playoffs for the second straight season. In a 32-12 win over the Los Angeles Chargers in the Wild Card round, Stroud had 282 yards and a touchdown.

2025 was another 10-7 season, with Stroud starting 14 games and going 9-5. His completion percentage jumped a bit, to 64.5%, and he had 3,041 yards (217.2 yards per game) with 19 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. His passer rating went up to 92.9, and in a 30-6 thumping of the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card Round, he completed 65.6% of his passes for 250 yards and a touchdown.

The Bad

As good as he’s been in the first round of the AFC playoffs every year, Stroud has been a mess in the divisional round, going 0-3. He is 58 of 108 in those games (53.7%), averaging 210.7 yards, and managing just one touchdown and four interceptions. It’s only natural that Texans fans would be frustrated, but the idea that they’d Google his contract to see what he has left is laughable. Half the teams in the league would kill for a quarterback who gets them to the playoffs every season.

End Of My CJ Stroud Contract Rant

The Houston Texans could trade Stroud before or after June 1st if they wanted, and they would likely get back a haul and a half. He is an elite quarterback, and what are the other options for this team? A journeyman veteran like Gardner Minshew? An over-the-hill product like Aaron Rodgers or Kirk Cousins? Would it really make sense to draft a player? That’s a roll of the dice on an unproven entity over a guy who has led the team to 30 wins in three seasons.

For those finding this article in their search, here is what is going to happen. The Texans are going to give Stroud a $60 million per year contract at the very least. Probably a 5-year, $300 million deal. If you don’t like what you find when you Google his contract today, you’ll really hate what you get for results in 2027.

This article first appeared on Stadium Rant and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: