Texans emphasize they’re ‘fully committed’ to ‘dialed in,’ leaner C.J. Stroud, say contract will ‘take care of itself’

HOUSTON – C.J. Stroud has devoted his entire offseason toward getting in optimal shape, setting a tone with an ultra-serious approach to his training regimen and obvious results.

A leaner physique is the byproduct of the Texans quarterback spending months hoisting heavy metal and doing cardio and plyometric workouts along with a healthy diet.

And the work of the former NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year on the heels of a rocky performance in the playoffs that included a career-high four interceptions in an AFC divisional round loss to the New England Patriots hasn’t gone unnoticed. Whether it’s his exercise routine, extra throwing work or conversations with offensive coordinator Nick Caley and new quarterbacks coach Jerry Schuplinski, the replacement for Jerrod Johnson, Stroud has impressed the Texans with his dedication to his craft.

“C.J.’s done a really good job all offseason just continuing to be locked in, continuing to prepare the right way,” coach DeMeco Ryans said Monday during the Texans’ annual charity golf tournament. “He’s been dialed in to our strength sessions, our coaching sessions and our meetings. He’s been dialed in and very into it. That’s all you can ask for from all our guys at this time.

“Everybody’s looking to grow and C.J.’s doing a great job of growing and learning, spending time with Caley, with Jerry. He’s doing extra things with his body as well, body maintenance. Proud of the work that he’s putting in right now. It’s only going to help you when it comes time for the season. So, he’s laying that groundwork right now to have a really good season.”

When Stroud walked into the Texans’ training facility for the launch of the offseason program, he appeared locked in in terms of his demeanor. He was also wearing an Astros baseball cap and sporting a shorter haircut this year.

The team has released footage of Stroud running sprints with the same steadfast look. Stroud looks lean and is moving fast.

Throughout the past few months, the Texans have repeatedly emphasized that the former Pro Bowl selection is locked in and focused on the task at hand.

“I can say that for all of our guys, this is what this time of year is about,” Ryans said. “It’s about, first off, getting the rest that you need from such a long season and then you come back, you assess your body and see where can you grow, where can you improve as a professional.”

After a difficult postseason that included five interceptions and five fumbles with seven total turnovers against the Pittsburgh Steelers and Patriots, Stroud is determined to deliver a season and postseason filled with winning performances.

The Texans exercised a $25.9 million fifth-year club option to secure Stroud through the 2027 season.

Although the Texans are not planning to engage with Stroud in long-term contract negotiations this year necessarily, they are expected to try to extend Stroud next offseason depending on how he does this season, per league sources.

“The contract things, I always tell guys, they take care of themselves, so there’s never a need to panic or do anything different, you just keep improving as a player,” Ryans said. “You keep working on your craft, you keep doing all those things behind the scenes that you know improves your game, the contracts and those things will take care of themselves.”

Texans principal owner Cal McNair emphasized that he’ll leave contract talks to general manager Nick Caserio and wants to keep those communications behind the scenes.

“We’re fully committed to C.J.,” McNair said. “We exercised his fifth-year option, and so we’ll see how it all works out.”

Caserio, for his part, downplayed the significance of doing the fifth-year option instead of a long-term extension at this time.

“I don’t really think that affects his future,” Caserio said. “He’s our quarterback. We’ve said that from the beginning. I think that was really more of a procedural thing. I don’t want to say it was a no-brainer, but it was kind of a no-brainer, so we’re glad he’s here.

“Again, it’s more of a part of the process. So, we’re excited about his offseason. I think he’s had a good approach, had a good attitude here. I think he’s put a lot of work in from March and April. I’m so excited to have him around here in the spring and I’m excited to keep moving forward.”

Previously at the NFL scouting combine in February, Caserio threw cold water on unfounded trade speculation surrounding Stroud.

Stroud was named in trade rumors previously dismissed by KPRC 2 as completely unfounded. Stroud will remain the Texans’ QB1 going forward.

While the Texans aren’t engaging in contract negotiations at this time, they can shift that approach anytime. Ideally, they would be happy to reward Stroud provided he proves himself again this season.

“It’s moronic,” Caserio said in response to a question from KPRC 2. “We’re not trading him. He’s our quarterback. He’s going to be playing quarterback for the Houston Texans in 2026. Anything beyond that, you guys can speculate on that, but we’re not trading C.J. Stroud.”

Stroud has been the subject of heavy criticism since that game. However, the organization has had his back. It was an uncharacteristically sloppy performance from Stroud, who completed 64.5 percent of his throws as he passed for 3,041 yards, 18 touchdowns and eight interceptions while missing three games due to a concussion.

A former Pro Bowl selection who declined an alternate invitation to the Pro Bowl, Stroud has passed for 10,876 yards, 62 touchdowns and 25 interceptions in three NFL seasons.

Stroud led the NFL in touchdown to interception ratio with a 23:5 clip as a rookie, passing for 4,108 yards.

“He’s been a good player, and won a lot of football games,” Caserio said. “Quarterback is the hardest position to play in sports. He had some ups and downs. That’s natural for a position, but, overall, he’s had a pretty significant impact on what we are as a program. He’s not going anywhere.

Since the playoffs, the Texans and Stroud have taken several steps to move on from the New England game.

The steps include adjusting his offseason approach, improving the supporting cast on offense, and making a coaching change to Schuplinski.

“C.J. is a young quarterback,” Ryans said during the NFL meetings at the Arizona Biltmore. “Being early in his career, he’s gained a ton of valuable experience, including in the playoffs. It hasn’t gone as we would like it to there. You always want to win it all.

“But when you go through those difficult moments, those tough times, you learn from them. I know C.J. has learned from those moments. Now, we’ve got to go out and improve and show it on the field. The way he’s attacked the offseason, working hard, throwing every day, staying dialed in. I’m excited to see how that translates into a really great year for us.”

Without getting into specifics about future plans, the McNair family made it clear how highly they value All-Pro defensive end Will Anderson Jr. in advance of his record-setting $150 million contract extension and Stroud.

“We’ll let DeMeco and Nick make the football decisions there, but they’re exciting, really good young players,” Cal McNair said. “We hope to have them around for a long, long time.”

A year from now, cornerback Kamari Lassiter and safety Calen Bullock will be eligible for extensions. Both were named Pro Bowl alternates after the 2025 season.

“It’s a good problem to have when you have so many guys you want to keep under contract,” Texasn chief community officer Hannah McNair said. “If we keep drafting the way we do, this is going to be something we talk about every year.”

Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com

Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com