Houston Texans general manager Nick Caserio said contract discussions with quarterback C.J. Stroud must be resolved before the regular season or deferred until the offseason. Houston opens the 2026 season on Sept. 13 against the Buffalo Bills. Caserio said the talks have been productive, but the Texans will not continue negotiating a new deal during the regular season. Stroud, the No. 2 overall pick in 2023, is entering the fourth year of his four-year contract and remains under team control through 2027 after Houston exercised its team option in April. He is guaranteed $25.9 million for the 2026 season. The discussions follow a 2025 regular season in which Stroud recorded 3,041 passing yards, 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions while missing three games with a concussion. His postseason included seven turnovers in two games, including four interceptions in the first half of January's AFC divisional playoff game against the AFC champion Patriots. Stroud has not publicly addressed the negotiations since July 29, directing business matters to his agent, David Mulugheta, while head coach DeMeco Ryans has expressed offseason support for the quarterback.