QB · HOU
WR · HOU
general
Nico Collins: CJ Stroud is built for everything
Texans QB CJ Stroud faces contract extension talks; receiver Nico Collins praises him as ready for a big season
C.J. Stroud
QB · HOU · 24 yrs · exp 3 · Ohio State
Status
- Game status
- Active
Keep Trade Cut (SF TEP)
From latest snapshot · trend vs ~7d prior when data allows.
Value
4,384
Rank
#83
Pos rank
#21
7d trend
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Value history (90d)
One snapshot point per calendar day (shown in your timezone).
Latest: Sep 7, 2026 · 4,384
News
Stories linked to this player — newest first.
analyst
Tank Dell Restructures his Deal With Houston
Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell (knee), who is opening the 2026 season on Injured Reserve, renegotiated the final year of his contract and is due $1.704 million, including a $500,000 signing bonus, $1 million total guaranteed, a salary-cap figure of $1.988 million, and a $1.145 million salary, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Sports. Dell was previously due $3.624 million in the final year of his rookie deal with a $3.967 million salary-cap figure. The 26-year-old former third-rounder in 2023 from the University of Houston tore multiple ligaments in his knee in a devastating injury in 2024 and was unable to return at all last year. Dell was slowly being ramped up in training camp this summer, but now that he's on IR, he will not be eligible to make his 2026 season debut until at least Week 5. Even though fellow wideout Jayden Higgins (knee) is out for the year, Dell remains a question mark this year as far as what his role will be when he is cleared to return. The addition of Kayshon Boutte via trade from the New England Patriots will not help Dell's case for fantasy relevance later this year. For now, Nico Collins, Boutte, and Jaylin Noel will be quarterback C.J. Stroud's top three receivers
QB · HOU
general
C.J. Stroud’s contract negotiations with Houston Texans could be a win-win
C.J. Stroud has paused contract negotiations with the Houston Texans, banking on himself for a bigger deal next year
QB · HOU
general
Top 10 players facing make or break season, including C.J. Stroud and Marvin Harrison Jr.
The Texans have a championship-level defense. If they don't come close to a deep playoff run, it'll reflect poorly on Stroud and make a decision on his future even tougher
QB · HOU
general
Texans won't have extension talks with C.J. Stroud during season
Texans General Manager Nick Caserio says the team will not engage in contract negotiations with C.J. Stroud during the regular season, citing a preference to address it in the offseason
QB · HOU
general
Texans won't have extension talks with C.J. Stroud during season
The Texans are taking a page from the Steelers' book on contract negotiations
general
Waiver wire: 5 players the Giants should consider
The Giants should consider making waiver claims on five players
general
Who’s on the Outside Looking In Before Houston’s Final Preseason Game
Yahoo Sports NFLSource ↗
A breakdown of who is on the block for Texans roster cutdowns
general
Why the Cowboys should be cautious about Javonte Williams’ 2026 workload
What the Cowboys need to do for Javonte Williams
analyst
Xavier Hutchinson Rising With More Snaps
Houston Texans wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson is getting more offensive snaps now that Jayden Higgins (knee) is done for the entire 2026 season due to a torn ACL. Quarterback C.J. Stroud threw a 50-yard bomb to Hutchinson during Monday's training camp practice for a touchdown after he beat cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. In the team's preseason contest on Thursday against the Las Vegas Raiders, Hutchinson caught one of his two targets from Stroud for a loss of one yard. The 26-year-old could see the second-most snaps behind WR1 Nico Collins now that Higgins is out for the year, but second-year wideout Jaylin Noel (hamstring) and Tank Dell (knee) will have something to say about that when it's all said and done. Hutchinson has a real opportunity in 2026, but he doesn't have the pure upside that both Noel and Dell have if they are healthy. The former sixth-rounder in 2023 from Iowa State has 55 catches for 635 yards and three touchdowns (all last year) in his three years in Houston, with his 35-428-3 line in 17 regular-season games being his high-water mark
analyst
Xavier Hutchinson Moves Back Onto the Redraft Radar
Xavier Hutchinson's fantasy relevance increases due to injuries and team needs
general
C.J. Stroud leads Texans to TD on his one series
Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud did play. He didn’t play long. In his first game action since his meltdown in the postseason in New England, Stroud played 10 plays in the first possession and led the Texans to a touchdown. He took a seat after Woody Marks’ 20-yard touchdown run. Stroud went 4-for-6 for 27 yards, and Marks had four carries for 37 yards and one catch for 6 yards. The Texans took a 17-0 lead in the first quarter. Rookie linebacker Wade Woodaz returned an interception of Fernando Mendoza 80 yards for a touchdown, and Ka’imi Fairbairn added a 51-yard field goal on an eight-play, 33-yard drive directed by backup quarterback Davis Mills. Stroud had seven turnovers in two playoff games, including four interceptions against the Patriots in the divisional round
QB · HOU
QB · HOU
QB · HOU
general
C.J. Stroud will play tonight vs. Raiders
DeMeco Ryans has changed his mind yet again. The Texans head coach said earlier this week his starters would play in Thursday’s preseason game against the Raiders. Then, on Wednesday, he decided the starters had gotten enough work during the joint practice Tuesday and wouldn’t play in the game. Now comes word from ESPN that quarterback C.J. Stroud will play. The team’s defensive starters still won’t play. They don’t need the work. Stroud does. It will be the first time Stroud has played since his meltdown against the Patriots in the divisional round when he threw four interceptions. He had seven turnovers in two playoff games. Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that the Texans have talked to Stroud’s representation about a contract extension, but the sides are not close. The Texans have exercised the fifth-year option on Stroud’s contract for 2027
general
Can Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow avoid the quarterback midlife crisis?
Last season was a down year for the AFC's superstar quarterbacks I like to call the "big four." None of Patrick Mahomes , Josh Allen , Lamar Jackson or Joe Burrow made the AFC title game. Mahomes, Jackson and Burrow all missed the playoffs and combined to miss 16 regular-season games. Now, don't get me wrong, confidence is still understandably high in this group. Our experts ranked them as four of the best five quarterbacks in the league entering this season. But, maybe 2025 was more than a fluke. Maybe, just maybe, they are in the midst of, or entering the sports version of a midlife crisis. Think about it. They are getting up there in age. All four quarterbacks are either approaching age 30 or have already turned 30 years old. Could they be questioning their careers? Allen and Jackson still haven't made the Super Bowl and this is the age when mobile quarterbacks start to decline. Burrow had some midlife crisis-type comments last year. Mahomes is coming off a serious knee injury and the Chiefs fell apart last year. What's next? Mood swings and impulsive decisions? Maybe a little jealousy? The next generation of star quarterbacks could be waiting in the wings ( Justin Herbert , C.J. Stroud , Drake Maye , Fernando Mendoza ??) In all seriousness, each future Hall of Fame quarterback is entering the second half of their career with plenty of promise but also some concerns about their Super Bowl windows. That's why I'm looking at a case for and against a midlife crisis for each one with a verdict included. Mahomes is the most fascinating case. He's only 30 years old and is already one of three players all time with three Super Bowl MVPs (Brady and Joe Montana). As he chases Brady for GOAT status, it's actually Brady who provides the blueprint for what Mahomes' midlife crisis could look like. Like Mahomes, Brady tore his ACL in his ninth season. He also went a decade between his third and fourth rings as he competed with the likes of Peyton Manning , Ben Roethlisberger , Joe Flacco and Philip Rivers in the AFC. Mahomes also has plenty of talent to compete with in the AFC who are champing at the bit after he's been ring blocking for years. You can definitely make a case the Chiefs' dynasty is over (at least version 1.0) as players decline and bills come due. Kansas City needed to trade Tyreek Hill a few years ago. They moved Joe Thuney last year. This offseason we saw most of their secondary get dismantled headlined by Trent McDuffie's trade to the Rams . Kelce lost a step (or two) and Chris Jones is beginning to decline. You can see the toll all of that has taken as the Chiefs sputtered last year. They have also been struggling on offense for three years now. We are looking at a 50+-game sample where the Chiefs are below average in scoring. Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers and Brady never had a 30+-game stretch in their careers where their team was below league average in scoring. There doesn't appear to be a solution in sight as Worthy hasn't lived up to the 4.21 40 hype and Rice can't stay on the field. I was shocked when I found this stat recently. The Chiefs are the only team in the NFL without a 1,000-yard rusher or receiver in a season in the past three years. The lack of playmaking around Mahomes has caught up to them. So has how defenses are playing them. Mahomes has just seven pass touchdowns on deep throws (20+ air yards) since Hill was traded in the 2022 offseason. That's tied for 27th in the league. He had 41 in four seasons prior to that, easily the most in football. We're all waiting for 50-TD Mahomes to walk through that door again. But with all of the above in mind, it's probably going to take some time. Plus, I buried the lede. Mahomes is coming off last year's knee injury. Although he's healthy for the start of the year, we still don't know how this could impact a quarterback who relies on his legs a lot. He leads the NFL in passing first downs (114) and rushing first downs (60) outside the pocket in the pa [... truncated ...]
general
Texans lose promising second-year WR Jayden Higgins to season-ending injury
Promising second-year Texans wide receiver Jayden Higgins tore his ACL in Tuesday's joint practice with the Ravens and will miss the entire 2026 season, ESPN reports . Higgins, 23, was the No. 34 overall pick last year out of Iowa State, and he showed promise as a rookie, posting 41 catches for 525 yards and a team-high six touchdowns. He added nine catches for 98 yards across two playoff games, too. At 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, Higgins gave C.J. Stroud another physical, big-bodied wide receiver target opposite two-time Pro Bowler Nico Collins (6-foot-4, 222 pounds). In fact, Collins had major praise for Higgins earlier this training camp. "He's a dog," Collins said Aug. 1. "You see the work he's been putting in, it's showing up on the grass field. He has all the tools in the world. He's going to be the face of this franchise at some point. His playmaking ability, his size, he has all the tools in the world. I can't wait to see him rock out this year. It's going to be exciting." Instead, the Texans will have to turn elsewhere for receiving production outside Collins and tight end Dalton Schultz , who led the team with 82 catches last year. Jaylin Noel , a third-round pick out of Iowa State last year, could see more action both in the slot and out wide, while Xavier Hutchinson (6'3", 210 pounds) is a more like-for-like replacement for Higgins in terms of size. The biggest wildcard is Tank Dell , a diminutive 2023 third-round pick who had 98 catches for 1,376 yards and 10 touchdowns in his first two seasons before suffering a devastating knee injury late in the 2024 season. Dell dislocated his knee, tore his ACL, MCL and LCL and suffered meniscus damage. He missed all of last year and has been steadily working his way back. DeMeco Ryans said he's unsure if Dell will play in the preseason. Wide receiver health remains an issue for Houston. In addition to Dell's absence, Collins missed two games last year, and Christian Kirk missed three. The year before, Collins missed five games, Stefon Diggs tore his ACL midway through the season, and Dell got hurt late in the year
general
Raiders-Texans preseason: Players I’m excited to see
9 players to watch in the Raiders-Texans preseason matchup
WR · HOU
QB · HOU
general
Texans WR Jayden Higgins leaves joint practice early
Texans wide receiver Jayden Higgins exited practice early due to what appeared to be a lower-body injury. While coach DeMeco Ryans had no update, QB C.J. Stroud believes Higgins is 'fine.' Higgins has had a productive training camp entering his second season
general
How Stefon Diggs' history with young QBs could shape Jayden Daniels, Commanders' season
Veteran wide receiver Stefon Diggs, known for his experience with young quarterbacks, has joined the Washington Commanders on a one-year deal. He will be working with third-year passer Jayden Daniels, aiming to build chemistry and support the offense. Diggs has previously played with quarterbacks like Teddy Bridgewater, Josh Allen, C.J. Stroud, and Drake Maye. Commanders coach Dan Quinn highlighted Diggs's positive impact as a teammate and his football IQ. Both Diggs and Daniels are entering new phases with the Commanders, with Diggs seeking a new team and Daniels looking to establish himself as a full-time starter
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