Stroud's potential 2027 salary looms large. Will Houston commit $38 million to their star quarterback, or seek a different path?
The Houston Texans have had a successful run over the last three seasons, advancing to the playoffs in each of those years. A big reason for that is a pair of players brought in at the top of the 2023 NFL Draft: C.J. Stroud and Will Anderson Jr. Both players are now eligible for extensions after wrapping up their third seasons in the league, and as two former first-round picks, they both have fifth-year options on their rookie deals.
Four years are guaranteed on the standard rookie contract in the NFL, but first-round picks have a fifth-year option on their deal. The organization decides whether to pick up that option or not, as foregoing it and opting for an extension instead is an alternative. That is what the Texans chose to do with star cornerback Derek Stingley Jr.
The price of the salary on that fifth-year option is fixed for all 32 selections of the first round of the draft. A player's position, snap count, and number of Pro-Bowls are all factored into the price of the fifth-year option. The price tags for these options were reported on Friday.
Stroud has been selected to one Pro-Bowl, which came during his rookie season in 2023. That makes his salary for the 2027 season nearly $38 million, $37,833,000 to be exact. The organization will have to decide on this option by the deadline on May 1st of the 2026 offseason. That deadline is also intact for Anderson, whose price tag in 2027 would be roughly $24.5 million after making two Pro-Bowls up until this point in his career.
Anderson is an easier decision than Stroud, as he has been consistent throughout the three seasons he has been in the league and has improved each year.
The $38 million salary for Stroud in 2027 would put him at 17th in the NFL when it comes to quarterbacks' current average annual value. Putting him in the middle of the pack is fair, but it will be interesting to see if the organization would rather give him an extension in the same neighborhood. This would lock him up for longer.
The fifth-year option is probably the better option for Houston. Stroud has played well throughout his career, but he has shown consistent signs of regression. The fifth-year option would allow the organization to evaluate him for an additional season before committing to a long-term financial deal.
The good news for Houston is that the NFL's salary cap is rising year after year, which should ease the pressure of some of these financial decisions.