Houston Texans general manager Nick Caserio was candid when asked about contract talks with quarterback C.J. Stroud. Caserio asserted that he was “not gonna comment on anything contractually,” saying, “We’ve never done that before.”
“We’ve had good discussions, I’d say, with his representatives, like we do with a lot of different players,” Caserio told reporters on September 3 amid the team’s annual season premiere event. “So, at some point, if there’s an agreement put in place, great. If not, then that’s something we’ll probably address in the offseason.”
When pressed about the two sides’ comfort level entering the year without a deal in place, Caserio said, they will “take it one day at a time.
“Whatever the end result is, we’ll kind of do business as business is being done.”
C.J. Stroud Gets Clear Message From Texans
That is all essentially what Caserio said during his media availability on Tuesday. Moreover, he has uttered his refrain about not going into details at every instance when discussing player contracts.
Stroud is under contract through the 2027 season, which would be on his fifth-year option if no long-term agreement is reached.
Stroud was also in attendance for the even on Thursday night.
Stroud, for all of his shortcomings in the postseason, also set career-highs in completion percentage and Total QBR during the regular season. That his playoff collapse came while the Texans were shorthanded cannot be overlooked, either.
Still, Stroud remains inarguably among the most polarizing quarterbacks, if not players, in the entire league.
Commentary about his contract situation has reached heights that belie his actual status.
Even without a deal, the Texans still have control through 2027 with the franchise tag available after that. They have already made it clear that they intend to get an extension done with Stroud, but speculation will continue until the ink dries.
C.J. Stroud ‘Front and Center’
Sports Illustated’s Conor Orr noted how Stroud’s “down” season was still better than the majority of his peers, citing his top-12 in QB EPA pere play and that he plays for a defensive-minded head coach in DeMeco Ryans.
Orr said Stroud is “front and center as the biggest pending question” this season will answer.
“Stroud is straddling the dividing line between a $60 million per year contract and a stint in the Sean McVay–Kyle Shanahan school of quarterback rehabilitation,” Orr wrote on September 3.
“I’m actually more optimistic about Stroud earning a long-term extension than I was at this point last year. I’m also more optimistic about Stroud earning a long-term extension than Young. The reason is simple: Stroud was still a top-12 quarterback last year when everything around him was broken. Injuries out of camp. Lack of depth at running back. Offensive line still in transition.”
Orr said his “rehabilitation” characterization may have been “harsh,” since Stroud was productive. Stroud’s production and winning record speak for themselves. And there has been little argument about the offense around him not be close to the level of the defense.
Unfortunately, so do his postseason struggles.
Moreover, focus on the latter has outlasted what has been described as a strong offseason and an encouraging–albeit brief-showing in the 2026 preseason for Stroud.
Texans GM Nick Caserio Gets Honest About C.J. Stroud: ‘Never Done That Before’