What does CJ stand for in CJ Stroud?

C.J. Stroud burst onto the scene in the 2023 NFL season, as one of the hotshot gunslinger quarterbacks in the NFL. Having been drafted 2nd overall by the Houston Texans in 2023, he dragged the 3-win roster of 2022 to a 10-7 record in the 2023 season - winning the AFC South Division and winning a Wild Card round against the Cleveland Browns.

Stroud played in college for Ohio State University and was the starting Quarterback for the OSU Buckeyes in 2021 & 2022, winning the 2021 Rose Bowl and leading OSU to a berth in the 2022 College Football Playoffs. He racked up more than 8000 passing yards and 85 TDs during his OSU career, which led him to become a finalist for the Heisman Trophy in 2021 & 2022. Stroud carried over his performances to the NFL, making the transition effortlessly. He racked up almost 4200 passing yards for the Texans, along with 23 Touchdowns in 2023. In doing so, he won the 2023 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award.

C.J. Stroud Full Name

The CJ in C. J. Stroud stands for Coleridge Bernard Stroud IV, a name that was originally given to his great-grandfather and has been passed on throughout the family over the generations. What C.J. stands for exactly is unclear, as the J isn’t an initial in Stroud’s full name. An educated guess is that it stands for Junior, with C.J. expanding to Coleridge Junior/Jr. His father Coleridge Bernard Stroud III often went by Coleridge Sr.

Stroud said in an interview with the Big Ten Network that he has been called C.J. since “he was born,” and he has always used the nickname given to him by his mother.

Is C.J. Stroud a Millionaire?

Yes, Stroud is already a millionaire. Stroud had already accumulated an estimated net worth of $12 million according to Celebrity Net Worth as of 2024. Since being drafted 2nd overall by the Houston Texans in 2023, Stroud's rookie contract has also significantly bolstered his net worth, which is projected to grow much higher once Stroud signs his second contract.

How much is C. J. Stroud getting paid?

After getting drafted by the Houston Texans with the 2nd overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Stroud signed a 4-year contract with the Texans.

The contract has an average annual value (AAV) of $9.07 million, with a total value of $36,279,243 as per Spotrac. As with all contracts of players drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft, Stroud’s contract was fully guaranteed i.e. he would be paid the value of the contract he had signed with the Texans, regardless of any external circumstances.

Stroud’s base salary for the 2023 season is $750,000, with a total cap hit of $6,596,226. Additionally, he received a signing bonus of $23,384,904, which the Texans can count throughout the 4 yr contract, minimizing the cap hit of Stroud’s contract on the Texans’ salary cap.

Stroud's immense performance in the first year of the rookie deal itself has made his contract one of the most value-for-money deals in the NFL. With the low cap hit of Stroud’s rookie deal, the Houston Texans can build a competitive roster and sign other star players to complement Stroud on the team’s roster and build a competitive team that can aim for the Super Bowl in the coming seasons.