C.J. Stroud heads into the 2026 season with a point to prove.The Houston Texans quarterback is eligible for a contract extension for the first time in his career, but is yet to reach an agreement with the team.Stroud is eligible for an extension but the Texans are holding outGettyHis fifth-year option for 2027 was picked up in April, and he’s watched teammate Will Anderson sign a three-year, $150 million deal that made him one of the highest-paid non-QBs in NFL history.Stroud is patiently waiting for what could be record-breaking deal of his own, but has perhaps lost some leverage over the last two seasons.He was named Rookie of the Year in 2023, and threw for 4,108 yards en-route to the playoffs, where he became the youngest quarterback to win a postseason game in NFL history.But in 2024 and 2025, the Texans star wasn’t quite as productive.He’s coming off a season in which he finished 19th in passing yards (3,041), and had a respectable — but not truly eye-catching — 19-8 touchdown-to-interception ratio.Such production would serve many quarterback-needy teams well, but Stroud has set a high benchmark, and Houston will probably wait to see how he performs in 2026 before handing out a contract that would likely make him one of the NFL’s highest-paid stars.The good news, for both the Texans and their signal caller, is that things are moving in the right direction as far as on-field work is concerned.C.J. Stroud ‘locked in’ for pivotal seasonOffensive coordinator Nick Caley has recently been discussing Stroud’s growth, and suggested that he ‘looks good’ heading into the new year.“There was a lot of progress that C.J. and the offense made last year,” Caley told Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle.“We continued to get better from the start of the season to the end of the regular season and just continued to make progress from week to week.Stroud struggled in 2025 but is ‘locked in’ for the new yearGetty“So we’re going to continue to build on that. It’s a new year. C.J. has done a great job out here.“Looks good. Locked in.”The Texans will be hoping a ‘locked in’ Stroud can carry them to the playoffs once again in 2026, and get them past the divisional round and into the AFC Championship game for the first time in franchise history.If he does manage that, the 24-year-old will surely be in line for a big contract extension.But even with negotiations looming, the former No.2 pick is fully concentrated on getting back to his best.“I let my agent handle that. If it’s time to do it, then it is,” Stroud said at OTAs last month.Stroud isn’t focused on looming contract talks, and instead wants to improve on the fieldGetty“My job is football. That’s what I’m focused on, just getting better.“I think I’ve held my bargain up. Whatever happens, happens.”How much could the Texans pay C.J. Stroud after ‘prove-it season’?While Stroud believes he’s done enough to secure a payday, ESPN’s D.J. Bien-Aime has reported that as of late June, the two parties aren’t ‘close’ on a deal.Instead, the signal caller will have to prove his worth in 2026 for a deal that could eventually land in the $55m-to-$60m range per year.Stroud isn’t ‘close’ on an extension with the Texas as of late JuneGetty“Houston and its quarterback are in a tricky spot because last season did not end the way either would’ve preferred,” Bien-Aime wrote.“Stroud threw four interceptions against the Patriots in the AFC divisional round. A performance like that can cause hesitation when the extension for Stroud could be in the $55 million to $60 million range per year.“With how negotiations are currently going, it’s gearing up to be a prove-it season for Stroud.”In total it could be a $225million contract for the former Ohio State quarterback, with more than $100million in guarantees.But he will need to prove it – and that will start in Week 1 when the Texans host the Bills on the opening weekend of the season.Stay up to date on all things NFL across our talkSPORT platforms – subscribe to our YouTube channel for the latest news, opinion, exclusive interviews and our daily unfiltered, unscripted show ‘The S* Word, from 8am ET.