Texans' C.J. Stroud gets $224 million contract update from ESPN insider prediction

The Houston Texans likely were hoping this would be more straightforward.

If quarterback C.J. Stroud had simply kept improving from his rookie season onward, this would be the time they'd break the bank to give him a contract extension.

Instead, while Houston still has a strong chance of extending Stroud, the overall scope of a deal is much less certain.

Stroud has still led the Texans to winning seasons, with help from a strong defense, but he hasn't grown into the superstar many were expecting.

"Houston is already scheduled to pay Stroud $5.697 million in 2026, and the fifth-year option number for 2027 is $26.53 million," ESPN's Dan Graziano wrote in a new article on Friday. "So, the Texans have him for two more years at just over $32 million total (with the potential to franchise-tag him after that). That's a steal as long as he's even a replacement-level starter."

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Because of that option year in 2027, the Texans actually have some time to get this figured out.

Usually, though, players of Stroud's conceptual salary level want to get these things taken care of to prove that they are valued.

That leads Graziano to predict that Stroud will get a four-year, $224 million contract extension this offseason.

"Stroud's situation is one to watch carefully," Graziano writes. "Again, the Texans tend to be generous with their extensions, so we lean toward predicting they'll find a way to lock him up long term this offseason. But if this season has given them any pause, or if Stroud's demands come in too high, this could drag out."

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Houston clearly doesn't have anywhere else to go at the quarterback position. It's tough to even consider moving on from a starter-caliber QB. There aren't always a ton of good options out there as alternatives.

But at some point, Stroud will have to take another step forward for the Texans to feel totally strong and positive conviction about a potential deal.

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