The Texans picked up the fifth-year option on quarterback C.J. Stroud’s rookie contract this offseason, which means he’s with the team through 2027. Whether a long-term deal gets done remains to be seen.
Texans General Manager Nick Caserio said today that Stroud has had a good offseason and the team has been in contact with him about a potential extension, but nothing has happened on that front yet.
“He’s had a really good offseason,” Caserio said of Stroud. “Probably the best offseason he’s had since he’s been here. He’s had a good attitude, he’s been consistent, he has a good mindset. I’d say we’ve definitely had productive conversations over the course of the spring, so there’s a possibility that something could come to fruition. We’ll work through it and see what happens.”
The Texans used the second overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft on Stroud, and he rewarded them by winning Rookie of the Year that season, and leading them to the divisional round of the playoffs in all three of his seasons as their starting quarterback. But Stroud’s disappointing performance in last season’s playoffs has raised questions about whether he’s the quarterback to take the Texans to the Super Bowl. And until the Texans sign Stroud to a big second contract, it’s fair to wonder whether the Texans believe he’s going to be their franchise quarterback for years to come.
Wide receiver Tank Dell said in June that he felt he’d be ready to go at the start of training camp and it appears the Texans agree with his assessment of his health.
Dell was not one of the players that the team placed on their physically unable to perform list on Tuesday. Dell missed all of last season after suffering a severe knee injury in December 2024 and was able to do limited work during the team’s offseason program.
Dell had 98 catches for 1,376 yards and 10 touchdowns in his first two NFL seasons.
Linebacker E.J. Speed and safety M.J. Stewart have been placed on the PUP list. Speed tore his quad this offseason and could miss the entire season.
The Texans also placed wide receiver Jaylin Noel on the non-football injury list.
Free agent defensive lineman Denico Autry is expected to retire, Aaron Wilson of KPRC reports.
Autry, 36, has not announced his intention yet.
He became a free agent in March after his contract with the Texans expired.
Autry entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent and played 12 seasons, four with the Raiders, three with the Colts, three with the Titans and two with the Texans.
In his career, Autry totaled 331 tackles, 65.5 sacks, 117 quarterback hits, 35 passes defensed and eight forced fumbles.
Texans wide receiver Nico Collins was not a full participant in the team’s offseason program, but he says there is no injury concern as the team moves toward training camp.
Collins took limited reps in OTAs and at the team’s mandatory minicamp, which caught some attention because the wideout has yet to play a full season in the NFL. In an interview with Aaron Wilson of KPRC, however, Collins said that he wasn’t dealing with an injury and the workload was part of a plan to make sure he is all systems go for the more significant work this summer.
“Not at all,” Collins said. “They did that. Listened to the coaches, listened to the GM, saying ‘Yes sir.’ And they told me to be ready for camp.”
Collins and the Texans agreed to a revised contract in May that bumped up his salaries for the next two seasons. That makes it all the more important that Collins is at his best when it matters the most and provides further explanation for why the team didn’t want to push anything in the offseason.
The Texans have wrapped up their 2026 draft class.
According to the league’s daily transaction wire, Houston signed fourth-round pick Febechi Nwaiwu to his rookie contract on Thursday.
Nwaiwu was the club’s last unsigned pick from this year’s draft.
A guard out of Oklahoma, Nwaiwu was selected with the No. 106 overall pick. He played his first three collegiate seasons at North Texas before transferring to play for the Sooners in 2024. He was a second-team All-SEC honoree in 2025.
Houston’s rookies will report to training camp on July 21, with veterans reporting on July 28.
