NFL execs react to what Nick Caserio said about C.J. Stroud

While speaking with reporters on Monday, Houston Texans general manager Nick Caserio said that picking up the fifth-year option for 2027 attached to the contract for quarterback C.J. Stroud was “kind of a no-brainer” decision. 

That said, neither Caserio nor Texans owner Cal McNair has given any hint that the club wants to lock Stroud down via a lucrative multiyear extension. 

For a piece published Tuesday, NFL insider Jason La Canfora of SportsBoom US spoke with unnamed executives about what Caserio did and didn’t say about Stroud’s future. 

How Tom Brady may impact Nick Caserio’s view of C.J. Stroud

“I think Nick chose his words pretty carefully,” one executive explained. “He’s going to rent [Stroud] for another year or two. Pay-as-you-go. He got to see [Tom Brady] up close in New England. He’s not going to be in a rush to do a deal with Stroud going in reverse.” 

Caserio spent 20 seasons working for the New England Patriots until he was hired as Houston’s GM in January 2021. While Brady guided the Patriots to six Super Bowl championships across his two decades with the organization, Stroud has seemingly regressed from when he won the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award for the 2023 season.

Stroud holds a career postseason record of 3-3, and his performances this past January sparked serious concerns among members of the NFL community. Specifically, he threw five interceptions and lost two of five fumbles over Houston’s two playoff contests. 

C.J. Stroud still has plenty to prove to Texans before receiving an extension

“One year isn’t enough to give him the kind of money he’s going to want,” a general manager said about what it could cost the Texans to sign Stroud to an extension this offseason. “You have to make him wait and prove it.” 

Theoretically, Stroud should want to bet on himself and believe that he will play well enough later this year to become more expensive for either the Texans or a different franchise. Unless he offers Houston a noteworthy discount, he will likely remain on his current deal through the start of the 2026 season.