The Houston Texans have been able to pay multiple key players on the roster that including Derek Stingley, Nico Collins, and Jalen Pitre, among more.
The biggest extension is yet to be on the books, and that will be for quarterback C.J. Stroud. He's going into the third year of his rookie deal, and technically, the Texans have two more years of Stroud on the books.
Regardless, it's best to pay a QB sooner rather than later since the QB market is one of the quickest-moving markets in the NFL. And the deal that San Francisco 49ers QB Brock Purdy got pushed the Texans into a corner.
On May 16, it was revealed that the Purdy and the 49ers agreed on a five-year, $265 million extension. That deal features $181 million guaranteed but also has a no-trade clause included.
And the odds are Stroud will want the same thing when it's his time to strike a deal.
49ers Brock Purdy Gets No-Trade Clause in Extension
Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Jalen Hurts, Jared Goff, Kirk Cousins, Dak Prescott, and Purdy all have no trade clauses in their deals, so of course, Stroud would be looking to land that as well.
Getting that included in a new deal gives the player a lot of leverage, and Houston could be willing to do that since it's extremely hard to find a franchise QB in this league.
Stroud has led the Texans to two division titles in 2023 and 2024, including two playoff wins. As a starter, the Ohio State product has a 19-13 record.
In those outings, he has put up 7,835 passing yards, 43 passing touchdowns, and 17 interceptions. He has emerged as one of the top young signal-callers in the league and will soon be paid like one. Whether or not he gets that no-trade clause remains to be seen, but the fact that Purdy just got one certainly increases the likelihood that it happens.