C.J. Stroud, Texans Reportedly Agree to 4-Year, $36.3M Rookie Contract

C.J. Stroud is officially the franchise quarterback for the Houston Texans.

Houston and the signal-caller it selected with the No. 2 overall pick of the 2023 NFL draft agreed to a four-year, $36.3 million rookie contract on Monday, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

Shortly after the draft, Spotrac projected Stroud would end up with a $36.3 million contract based on being the No. 2 selection behind Bryce Young, who was projected to make approximately $38 million on his first contract with the Carolina Panthers.

Houston made plenty of noise in the first round of this year's draft when it chose Stroud and then traded up to the No. 3 selection to take Alabama pass-rusher Will Anderson Jr. right after that. The team seemed to be setting the foundation for a successful rebuild on both sides of the ball.

Laying that foundation was needed after the Texans went a combined 11-38-1 the past three seasons, and it all starts with the quarterback position.

Stroud was a back-to-back Heisman Trophy finalist during his time at Ohio State and completed 69.3 percent of his passes for 8,123 yards, 85 touchdowns and 12 interceptions during his two seasons as a starter.

The 21-year-old was a surgeon at times with his ball placement and accuracy downfield, and multiple analysts called him the best passer in this year's rookie class leading up to the draft.

Now attention turns to whether Stroud can turn that throwing ability into wins at the NFL level.

"I know that it's meant to be," he told reporters when discussing going to the Texans. "And I know that, with this franchise, it's going to be something that I'm really going to take very, very seriously and I'm going to work my tail off to get some wins."

That might be easier said than done given the surrounding talent on the offense. In fact, it isn't a stretch to suggest Stroud threw to better wide receivers in college with Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Marvin Harrison Jr. than he will at the start of his NFL career.

But the Texans signed veteran Robert Woods this offseason to bolster a pass-catching group that also includes John Metchie III and Nico Collins, and the future now looks much brighter with Stroud under center.

Houston also has some time to put more pieces around the quarterback while he is on his rookie contract.