Houston Texans general manager Nick Caserio has made it clear that a contract extension for quarterback C.J. Stroud remains part of the plan. However, the cost of doing business is rising.
Moreover, the fourth-year QB has gotten off to a hot start.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler noted the Texans will likely need to improve their rumored offer of a “deal worth well above $50 million” annually.
“Stroud is fueling the offseason intrigue with his excellent play. He is putting up MVP-type numbers, pacing for nearly 4,900 passing yards over a 17-game slate while registering only one interception on 219 passing attempts. Betting on himself in Year 4 should literally pay off,” Fowler wrote on October 21. “Stroud saw a bigger picture: a growing quarterback market and his place in it.
Fowler continued, saying Stroud is “well-positioned for offseason negotiations. And Houston’s trade for Marvin Harrison Jr. — Stroud’s teammate while at Ohio State — amplifies the Texans’ feelings on Stroud.”
For comparison, Drake Maye led in that metric last year at +5.0%.
Actions speak louder than words, as the lack of a long-term extension sparked speculation.
The trade for Harrison is the Texans’ strongest endorsement of Stroud yet, and should only help the QB take his game to even greater heights.
Former Exec Delivers Clear Message to Texans About C.J. Stroud
Fowler’s take comes on the heels of former NFL player and executive Louis Riddick, now an analyst for ESPN, urging the Texans to do “whatever it takes to get C.J. Stroud under contract.”
“I’ve been a big fan of his for a long time anyway, all right? And I understand the ebbs and flows and the ups and downs that quarterbacks have, and the fact that these guys are human beings, right? So, they go through processes as they’re–especially as they’re kind of like developing in the pro game. And C.J.’s still a young player, and it’s not always going to be linear. It’s not always going to be just perfect, a straight line up,” Riddick told Dan Patrick on “The Dan Patrick Show” on October 20.
“Last year was a downpoint for him in the playoffs when everyone wanted to bury him and throw dirt on him and go like, ‘See, he’s not as good as we thought. He’s a bust. He’s a guy who looks distracted. He can’t protect the football. He can’t carry a football team.’ Dan, he is so freaking locked in right now in this second year with Nick Caley in that offensive system.”
“C.J. is making throws, some of the very best you’ll see in the NFL. Some of the very best. And he’s so smart, and he’s so even-keeled, and they have got a wide receiver core that can rival anyone’s in the NFL now,” Riddick said.
“They love C.J. in Houston. DeMeco loves what he’s doing. He has total, total confidence in him. He’s going to get his money in a big way, and he’s going to–if he can pull them out of this start, the way the season started, and they can get into the playoffs and win a couple games–C.J.’s going to be an MVP candidate. A very strong one.”
Postseason success would not factor into the MVP voting, which is based solely on the regular season.
It would further bolster Stroud’s argument for a potentially record-setting deal from the Texans.
Texans Get Insider Reality Check on C.J. Stroud After Former Exec’s Message