Quarterback CJ Stroud is eligible to sign his second contract for the first time in his NFL career. But at the same time, his negotiations with the Houston Texans are currently stuck in limbo, as the team has already begun its training camp. On one point, general manager Nick Caserio said there’s a “possibility” of a deal, and yet they haven’t agreed on any terms yet. Amid all this, Stroud has made his stance clear. He’s just focusing on the football side of things when asked about a possible contract extension and how he handles the pressure that comes with it.

“I think everything is being great,” Stroud said at training camp. “I’m focused on ball, trying to do with it a bit, trying to just hold my bargain down on just the football side and do what I can, and what I should be doing as a quarterback of this team. So, I’m letting them handle it, and it seems like everything is going great.

“…I think pressure is part of my job, you know, so it’s just something I think is part of the gig and something that I’m not naive to. But also, I’ve learned you got to keep the main thing the main thing and focus on one day at a time, one play, and football. What’s gotten me to having the conversation to be able to get a second contract, so I got to focus on football.”

Stroud was set to enter the final year of his rookie deal before the Texans picked up his fifth-year option ahead of the 2026 season. Since then, the contract negotiations haven’t progressed well. However, the Texans likely will extend their quarterback sooner rather than later. For a broader context, the Texans were 11-38-1 in the three seasons before they drafted Stroud with the second overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft.

Since then, the quarterback has led his team to two AFC South titles and three postseasons in his first three years. During the stretch, he recorded 10,876 passing yards, 62 touchdown passes and 25 interceptions. At the same time, however, there’s still a caveat that may delay Stroud’s contract extension. While there’s no denying that he threw for over 4,000 yards in his rookie year, Stroud’s numbers have regressed in the last two seasons.

In 2024, he threw for 3,727 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions, while being sacked 52 times. In 2025, the numbers dropped to 3,041 passing yards, 19 touchdowns, and 8 picks, as he missed three games due to a concussion. While there’s a possibility that Stroud will get a new deal, Ian Rapoport reported that both parties haven’t agreed on terms yet.

“We could, in fact, get a CJ Stroud deal sooner rather than later provided all sides agree, and they’re not there yet,” Rapoport said. “It does not seem like they are close yet.”

For now, the Texans have begun their training camp. And while addressing Stroud’s contract, GM Nick Caserio admitted that “If it doesn’t happen in training camp then we’ll have to make a decision on what we feel makes the most sense.” So, that’s where things stand with Stroud. He’s entering the fourth year of his NFL career, but he’s still without a long-term deal.