Report: C.J. Stroud Faces Uncertain Future With Texans

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud had one of the worst postseason performances in recent memory, and it could delay extension talks. Selected with the second-overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Ohio State product took the league by storm as a rookie. Starting and appearing in 15 games, Stroud finished his inaugural campaign by completing 63.9% of his passes for 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns, five interceptions, and an 83.2 PFF grade, the 13th-best mark in the league.

Since then, however, Stroud has struggled to recapture his rookie form. While he hasn’t been an active liability, he’s played like an average to slightly below average starter over the past two seasons. While the Texans will undoubtedly activate the fifth-year option on his contract, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson says the team will not discuss a long-term extension at this time.

REPORT: Texans Aren’t Ready to Extend C.J. Stroud

It’s easy to see why the Texans are apprehensive about extending C.J. Stroud. Nobody denies that Stroud is a top-32 quarterback and should be starting somewhere, but he’s not the type of quarterback who can thrive in any situation. Right now, there isn’t an established going rate for good-but-not-great quarterbacks at the end of their first contracts. Chances are, a C.J. Stroud extension would probably end up costing close to Dak Prescott’s $60 million per year deal.

Paying that type of money to one player in a league with a hard salary cap makes it all but impossible to build a well-rounded roster. Players like Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, and Lamar Jackson are worth every penny, but teams like the Arizona Cardinals and Miami Dolphins know what happens when you give superstar money to a non-top-10 quarterback.

If C.J. Stroud can improve in Year 4, the Texans would probably be willing to discuss a long-term extension. However, if he continues to stagnate, Houston might try to trade the quarterback at this point next year.