C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans might have a tough time finding a middle ground for his next contract.
Back in April, the Texans picked up Stroud’s fifth-year option for the 2027 season. Although he’s under contract for the next two years, the front office in Houston would like to work out an extension from now. However, ESPN’s Adam Schefter said the two sides aren’t close to a deal.
“The Houston Texans have had discussions with C.J. Stroud about a new deal. My understanding is they’re not close at this particular time. Talks will continue,” Schefter said, via Josh Buckhalter of Heavy. “We’ll see if they’re able to get anything done by the time the season begins, or shortly thereafter.”
After Schefter made these remarks, Jeremy Branham of ESPN 97.5 Houston reported that Stroud is asking for $70 million per season. He claims the Texans are willing to pay around $50-55 million per year.
Thomas Shea-Imagn Images.
NFL fans wasted no time sharing their thoughts on Stroud’s rumored contract demand. Almost every single person is in agreement that $70 million is an unreasonable salary for the former No. 2 overall pick.
“$70,000,000 a year for CJ Stroud sounds CRAZY to me,” one person replied.
“CJ Stroud is not worth $30M, even in this cap inflated NFL,” a fan wrote. “He’s a bad quarterback, and he has several of the worst games I’ve ever charted dating back to 2020. He is a liability, not an asset.”
“CJ Stroud wanting 70 million pesos a year is fairly reasonable- WAIT DOES THAT SAY DOLLARS,” another person said.
The pressure is on C.J. Stroud.
Stroud, the 2023 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, started his career in Houston by throwing for 4,108 yards with 23 touchdowns and just five interceptions. Although his production hasn’t completely fallen off a cliff, he’s coming off a postseason where he simply didn’t show up.
In the Texans’ two playoff games last season, Stroud completed just 51.9% of his passes for 462 yards with two touchdowns and five interceptions. That’s not going to cut it in January, that’s for sure.
While it’s possible the Texans reach a long-term agreement with Stroud soon, it’s highly unlikely he makes anything close to $70 million per year. After all, Patrick Mahomes is the highest-paid at the position with an annual salary of $63.1 million.
And if Stroud enters the 2026 season without a deal, he’ll need to play well in order to have any leverage in contract negotiations.
