C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans are coming off their second straight AFC South crown and are positioned to repeat. However, the San Francisco 49ers’ five-year, $265 million contract extension with Brock Purdy looms large.
Purdy was the final pick of the 2022 draft, Stroud No. 2 in 2023.
The latter will be eligible to sign a new contract in 2026, and the early sentiments are mixed about what Purdy’s deal means for those yet to come.
“The days of young, extension-eligible quarterbacks topping the most recent deal may be over, at least for the time being,” Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox wrote on May 16. “That’s most relevant for quarterbacks from the 2023 class, like C.J. Stroud and Bryce Young who, believe it or not, will be eligible for new deals next offseason.”
Purdy’s contract makes him the highest-paid player in franchise history. Stroud must beat Deshaun Watson’s four-year, $156 million contract to claim as much with the Texans.
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio wrote that Stroud is “on deck” after Purdy’s deal.
“Stroud’s spot on the list of highest-paid quarterbacks remains to be seen. Purdy landed in a tie for No. 7,” Florio wrote on May 17. “Stroud, with a better offensive line and overall improved offense, could put himself in position to fall between [Josh] Allen and Dak Prescott and the cluster of guys who are in the vicinity of $55 million in new-money average.”
Window Closing on C.J. Stroud as Texans’ ‘Cheat Code’
GettyC.J. Stroud #7 of the Houston Texans looks to pass against the Kansas City Chiefs during the AFC Divisional Playoff.
NFL.com’s Nick Shook ranked Stroud second on his list of top QBs on rookie deals, ahead of Purdy and behind only Washington Commanders star Jayden Daniels.
Shook called having such a passer a veritable “cheat code” and “lightning in a bottle,” but one with a limited window. That window is closing on the Texans, and Shook posed some lingering items Stroud can address in 2025, such as using his “dynamism” more frequently.
The Texans’ leaky pass protection was also among them and directly impacts Stroud.
“Houston has since attempted to remedy those problems, but with one less year remaining on Stroud’s rookie deal and an evolving situation around him, his success isn’t guaranteed,” Shook wrote on May 8. “He’ll be an elite passer if he’s protected properly, and if I’m choosing a young quarterback to build around, he’s on the short list.”
The challenges will only increase for the Texans after he receives an extension and other players’ deals come up for negotiation.
C.J. Stroud’s Stock ‘Up’
GettyC.J. Stroud #7 of the Houston Texans is introduced before facing the Los Angeles Chargers during the AFC Wild Card Playoffs.
The best news for Texans fans is that Stroud appears more committed this offseason to putting in work behind the scenes. He made the Houston Chronicle’s Jonathan M. Alexander’s list of players whose stock is “up” following the team’s offseason approach.
Alexander also noted that the relative silence from Stroud this offseason is all part of the plan.
“We haven’t heard much from Stroud in the form of podcasts, and that is largely by design. The quarterback has spent much of his time in Houston training with his teammates and focusing on what will be a pivotal third season,” Alexander wrote on May 14. “Everything Houston has done this offseason has been designed around its quarterback and to provide him more support.
Alexander pointed to the Stroud’s protection as a potential ongoing concern. That feeds into what ESPN’s Dan Graziano reported on the Texans’ efforts to address the issue. Graziano listed it as the Texans’ “lingering question” after Stroud absorbed 52 sacks in 2024.
According to Graziano in the May 14 intel drop, the Texans made a “couple” of attempts to trade up, with their sights set on an offensive lineman, “but could not make it work.”
Their “hope” is that their offseason additions create enough competition to solidify the group.
Stroud will certainly have more responsibility at the line of scrimmage with a new offensive coordinator, Nick Caley. Additionally, Graziano reported that the Texans figured their offensive line cratered last season. They believe their coaching changes will help correct many other issues.
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