Stroud and the Houston Texans could drag into next year after general manager Nick Caserio said the team won't discuss a new deal during the 2026 regular season. Smith believes Stroud should make a concerted effort to land an extension before Week 1. The ESPN personality said on Wednesday's First Take that Stroud should feel more urgency than the Texans to sign a new deal by next weekend.
Stroud is under contract through 2027 after Houston exercised the quarterback's fifth-year option. Stroud," Smith said of which side should be more motivated. "I ain't gonna lie to you because I haven't liked what I've seen from him." Smith noted Stroud's "precipitous dropoff" in the playoffs without star wide receiver Nico Collins.
Stroud threw four interceptions in an AFC Divisional Round loss to the New England Patriots after averaging 7.2 yards per pass attempt in the regular season, down a full yard from his 2023 rookie year. In Smith's eyes, Stroud needs help from his supporting cast to bounce back and avoid other setbacks that could jeopardize his market value. "We haven't seen the C.J.
Stroud we saw as a rookie, right? And when you consider how elite this defense is expected to be, how elite they have proven to be and the potential, I get betting on yourself to some degree," Smith continued. "But there's so many variables ...
The slightest thing that goes wrong with Houston derails him. At least that appears to have been the case over the last two years. I don't trust it." Smith claimed that Stroud doesn't deserve a contract that would situate him among the NFL's highest-paid quarterbacks.
A dozen signal-callers have an average annual salary above $50 million, but the analyst advised Stroud to settle for a bit less. "He has to have the attitude, there's nowhere to go but up, so you can bet on yourself in that regard. I think that's a real, huge question," Smith warned.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
