The Houston Texans find themselves at a pivotal moment with quarterback C.J. Stroud, the former Ohio State standout selected second overall in the 2023 NFL Draft.
After earning Offensive Rookie of the Year honors and helping restore the franchise to annual playoff contention under head coach DeMeco Ryans, Stroud is now eligible for a contract extension.
His early success has been tempered by well-documented struggles in the postseason, including nine turnovers across two playoff games during the most recent campaign, leaving the organization to weigh his potential against his current track record as they negotiate his next deal.
Charlie Baduini of Heavy.com has criticized Stroud’s reported asking price of roughly $70 million per year, writing that such a demand should have the Texans laughing.
Baduini notes that this figure would instantly make the young quarterback the highest-paid player at the position, exceeding even Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs, who earns $64 million annually after collecting multiple Super Bowl rings and MVP awards.
He further contrasts Stroud with Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys, whose $60 million salary is backed by several additional seasons of consistent high-end production. In Baduini’s view, Houston has little reason to meet a request that far outpaces Stroud’s accomplishments to date.
Reports from ESPN Houston’s Jeremy Branham indicate the Texans have countered with an offer in the $50 million to $55 million range, a gap that has left the two sides “not close,” according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Baduini argues that if Stroud truly wants to be compensated like an elite veteran, he will likely need to delay an agreement and recapture the form that dazzled the league in 2023.
A more realistic outcome, he suggests, would align with independent estimates from Spotrac, which values a three-year extension at approximately $51.6 million per year tacked onto the remaining years of Stroud’s rookie contract.
That structure would keep him in Houston through the 2030 season and place him 12th among NFL quarterbacks in average annual value—a ranking that better reflects his standing as a promising but still developing starter rather than a proven superstar.
The coming weeks will reveal whether Stroud and the Texans can close the gap before the regular season begins. For now, Baduini’s assessment underscores a simple reality: the organization is unlikely to overpay for a player whose postseason results have yet to match his regular-season promise.
Stroud’s next campaign may ultimately determine whether his future contract approaches the top of the market or settles into a more measured, team-friendly figure.
