Houston Texans Maintain Optionality After Splashy Free Agency

The Houston Texans potentially have two different title windows to build off C.J. Stroud's rookie-scale contract.

The Houston Texans were one of the NFL’s best turnaround stories last season. Not only did Houston officially leave behind an ugly few years post-Deshaun Watson, they arguably have the better overall quarterback in C.J. Stroud.

Houston pushed some chips into the middle of the table this offseason in order to capitalize off their rookie-scale window with Stroud under center. Arguably the best overall free agent, pass rusher Danielle Hunter, inked a two-year, $48 million deal to return to his hometown. Then, two former Tennessee Titans stayed in the AFC South with Danielle Autry and Azeez Al-Shaair brought aboard. Also, don’t forget the key re-signing of tight end Dalton Schultz to a three-year deal as well.

When diving deeper into these contracts dished out by general manager Nick Caserio, the Texans have created two separate windows to build a roster around Stroud until his presumed mega extension comes around the horizon in 2027.

Danielle Hunter: two-years, $48 million ($47 million guaranteed)

Denico Autry: two-years, $20 million ($10.5 million guaranteed)

Azeez Al-Shaair: three-years, $34 million ($21.5 million guaranteed)

Dalton Schultz: three-years, $36 million ($23.5 million guaranteed)

Based on the guaranteed dollar amounts, you can essentially scratch off the final years on every contract Houston signed except Hunter. The big quartet of signings for the Texans have a two-year window around Stroud. If all goes well, maybe they all return for more years of consistent winning around their young superstar quarterback.

As currently constructed, the Texans project to have $125 million in salary cap space for the 2026 offseason. By then, there’s no reason to believe why Houston wouldn’t be an even more attractive destination for potential star-level free agents.

Two separate windows have been put together by Caserio and Co. How they go about trying to achieve a Super Bowl-caliber roster around Stroud will be decided with two different bites at the apple.

Houston not only has the quarterback riddle solved, but they have kept supreme optionality available to themselves long-term. What an envious position to be in, especially as the defending AFC South champions.

“He can put the ball anywhere he needs to in a very accurate manner, and I think at that position, when you have a calm demeanor and our teammates see that, it’s a confidence that exudes throughout the locker room,” Texans head coach Demeco Ryans said of Stroud at the NFL Scouting Combine. “Those are the skills that allowed him to have one of the best rookie seasons for a quarterback in our league’s history. I’m very excited about what C.J. did, but I’m also more excited about the things he can improve and where he can get better. Definitely looking for a huge jump in his growth from year one to year two.”

As Stroud continues to ascend into new levels of superstardom, the recruiting pitch to players around the league speaks for itself.