C.J. Stroud is now $36.3 million richer.
The former Ohio State quarterback signed a fully guaranteed four-year deal worth $36.3 million across those four years with the Houston Texans on Monday, two days before the Texans are set to begin training camp.
Stroud’s deal with the Texans includes a $23.38 million signing bonus, all of which he will receive upfront. It’s the first time the Texans have immediately given a player his full signing bonus, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
The #Texans and QB CJ Stroud, their No. 2 overall pick, have agreed to terms on his four-year rookie contract, and he gets $36.3M overall with a signing bonus of $23.38M, all fully guaranteed. He gets his entire signing bonus upfront, a first for Houston. pic.twitter.com/xLEZTnuFIO
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 24, 2023
All of Ohio State’s six 2023 draft picks have now signed their initial NFL contracts. Each draft pick’s salary is capped by the league’s rookie wage scale, though teams can negotiate with players on whether the contracts will be fully guaranteed and whether they will include offset language if a player is released and signs with another organization.
The contract terms for Ohio State’s rookie class, who are collectively set to make approximately $93 million over the next four years:
| Pick | Pos | Player | Team | Four-Year Contract Value | Signing Bonus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | QB | C.J. STROUD | TEXANS | $36.3 MILLION | $23.38 MILLION |
| 6 | OT | PARIS JOHNSON JR. | CARDINALS | $28.05 MILLION | $17.4 MILLION |
| 20 | WR | JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA | SEAHAWKS | $14.42 MILLION | $7.49 MILLION |
| 75 | DE | ZACH HARRISON | FALCONS | $5.57 MILLION | $1.05 MILLION |
| 111 | OT | DAWAND JONES | BROWNS | $4.63 MILLION | $792,332 |
| 190 | C | LUKE WYPLER | BROWNS | $4.02 MILLION | $179,972 |
