After lighting it up for the Ohio State Buckeyes, C.J. Stroud was the second overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft by the Houston Texans. He is perhaps the best pure passer that Ryan Day has had since taking over as the head coach of the Buckeyes in 2019. He lit the league on fire as a rookie, too.
Stroud won the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2023 and was also named to the Pro Bowl. He threw for 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns, and just five interceptions in that first year. However, his play since then has fallen off in a massive way. Now, he may have made a decision that cost him a lot of money.
C.J. Stroud reportedly turns down a massive contract extension
According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, the Texans are prepared to make him an offer that would pay him around $50 million per year. However, Stroud wants to play out this season and let the market possibly explode around him so that he could get paid even more money.
This seems like a pretty massive mistake for Stroud. In each of the last two seasons, Stroud's production has taken a humongous slide. That culminated in one of the worst playoff performances in the modern era last year against the Patriots, where he threw four interceptions and looked scared to throw the ball.
It seems like Stroud likely should have accepted that contract offer from Houston. If he doesn't put something together that resembles his rookie year, he could cost himself an enormous amount of money. The Texans feel that they are Super Bowl contenders and might have the best defense in the league.
It won't be easy for Stroud to put up big numbers this year, as he has already lost a receiver for the season. Jayden Higgins tore up his knee, so that is one fewer weapon that he will have to use during his contract year. He is teetering on the edge of disaster.
C.J. Stroud has a chance to end the Ohio State quarterback curse
After his rookie season, the Buckeyes looked like they had finally ended the NFL quarterback curse with Stroud. He looked like he was finally the quarterback who was going to succeed at the pro level. Now, that legacy is hanging by a thread this season, as he now has more pressure than ever to perform.
Julian Sayin has a chance to change that narrative next season, as well. If he has a strong 2026 season, there is a great chance that he declares for the NFL Draft. He could be a first-round pick, especially if Sayin leads the Buckeyes to a national championship this year.
Day has a reputation for developing quarterbacks into first-round picks, but they haven't been able to stick around in the league as starters. If Stroud's gamble does pay off, he could crush that narrative for good. It probably would feel a lot better to have $50 million per year and not all of that pressure, though.
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