The Houston Texans ended the 2025 NFL season on a disappointing note. They fell to the New England Patriots 28-16 in a divisional round matchup. Quarterback C.J. Stroud struggled, throwing for 212 yards, one touchdown, four interceptions and a 28 passer rating.
His performance came at an unfortunate time. Now going into his fourth season in the NFL, it's time for the former Ohio State Buckeye to work on a new contract. After picking up his fifth-year option, the Texans have Stroud under contract through the 2027 season. However, in many cases, an extension is agreed to before that goes into effect.
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After leading the Texans to three straight playoff berths, he's in line for a big payday. Spotrac projects that Stroud's market value could earn him an annual salary of $51.6 million. However, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reports that talks between Houston and its quarterback have begun to stall.
“Not a lot of momentum on a deal, talks are essentially on pause as of now,” Fowler said. “Now Houston has been aggressive paying players. They’ve been paying defensive players like Danielle Hunter, Will Anderson, Azeez Al-Shaair. So if they want to take care of Stroud, they’re going to have to make some progress this summer.”
If Spotrac is correct, then a deal that size would make the 24-year-old the NFL's 12th-highest-paid quarterback in terms of annual salary. That would be a major commitment for the Texans, especially after his implosion in the playoffs.
However, since being drafted in 2023, he's made 46 starts and gone 28-18. He's also completed 928-of-1,454 passes for 10,876 yards, 62 touchdowns, 25 interceptions and a 93.5 passer rating. With strong regular-season numbers, Houston faces a big decision.
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While talks have slowed down for now, they could just as easily pick up when Stroud and the rest of the Texans' veterans report to training camp on July 28.
