Stroud’s future unclear as contract talks with Texans lose momentum

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.

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.”

A look at C.J. Stroud, who’s contract eligible pic.twitter.com/0oJEBVH2yf

— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) June 29, 2026

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.

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.

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This story was originally published June 30, 2026 at 11:24 AM.