Texans' C.J. Stroud: Not returning to Sunday's contest
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Stroud (concussion) won't return to Sunday's game against the Broncos.
Before sustaining a concussion and being replaced by Davis Mills, Stroud completed six of his 10 pass attempts for 79 yards and carried twice for 12 yards. Stroud will now look to clear concussion protocol ahead of next Sunday's game against the Jaguars.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Exits Sunday's game
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Stroud, who was forced out of Sunday's game against the Broncos, is being evaluated for a possible concussion.
Prior to exiting the contest, Stroud had completed six of his 10 pass attempts for 79 yards and carried twice for 12 yards. In his absence, Davis Mills is in at quarterback for the Texans.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: QBs to Sit
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Stroud scored 25.7 Fantasy points in Week 8 against San Francisco, and he has scored at least 22.4 points in three of his past four games. He should get Nico Collins (concussion) back for this game, and Patrick Surtain II (pectoral) is likely out for the Broncos. That said, I would only start Stroud in Superflex and two-quarterback leagues in Week 9. Denver's pass rush should still be an issue for Stroud, and only three quarterbacks this season have scored more than 16.6 Fantasy points against the Broncos. I don't think Stroud will be horrible since Collins is back and Surtain is hurt, but I would still expect Stroud to score fewer than 20 Fantasy points in this game.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Stellar performance in win
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Stroud completed 30 of 39 passes for 318 yards with two touchdowns and one interception and rushed seven times for 30 yards in the Texans' 26-15 win over the 49ers on Sunday.
Stroud was in a zone throughout most of the afternoon following a difficult performance on the road against the Seahawks on Monday night to close out Week 7. The third-year signal-caller was working without Nico Collins (concussion) and Christian Kirk (hamstring), but he recorded 14 of his completions to a trio of wideouts playing elevated roles in Xavier Hutchinson, Jaylin Noel and Jayden Higgins. Stroud's pair of scoring tosses went to Hutchinson (30 yards) and Higgins (12 yards) as well, and his yardage total was a season-high figure. Stroud now has multiple touchdown passes in three of the last four games, but he has an unenviable task on tap in Week 9 in the form of a home matchup against the Broncos.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: QBs to Sit
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Stroud went into his bye in Week 6 with consecutive games of at least 22.4 Fantasy points, and it looked like he might be building toward a strong finish. But then came Week 7 at Seattle, and Stroud struggled with 15.7 Fantasy points. His offensive line let him down as he was sacked three times and hit countless others, and Nico Collins (concussion) left the game. Collins and Christian Kirk (hamstring) are out in Week 8, and Stroud is a questionable starter against the 49ers, who have held three of their past five opposing quarterbacks to 16.1 Fantasy points or less. I have no faith in Stroud with Collins and Kirk out.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Crushes short-handed Ravens
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Stroud completed 23 of 27 passes for 244 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions in Sunday's 44-10 win over the Ravens. He added one rush for 30 yards.
Stroud faced a thinned version of the Baltimore defense that was missing Kyle Hamilton (groin), Marlon Humphrey (calf) and Chidobe Awuzie (hamstring) in its secondary alone. He took advantage of the good spot, throwing more than three touchdowns for only the second time in his career while completing three passes of at least 20 yards. Stroud was ultimately pulled early in the fourth quarter due to the game being a blowout, but it was a positive fantasy performance and also a good showing for the Houston offense overall.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Growing comfortable with new scheme
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Stroud's pre-snap reads were instrumental to the 24-yard touchdown pass to Jayden Higgins in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 26-0 win over the Titans in Week 4, Sam Warren of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Warren gets into the weeds, outlining the pre-snap reads, adjustments and execution of the play, but the main point is that Stroud may have found his groove in the new offense. That offense, put in place by new offensive coordinator Nick Caley, involves Stroud taking more control. It may have taken three-and-a-half games to click in, as the quarterback completed 11 of 13 attempts (eight different targets) for 144 yards while directing touchdown drives on successive possessions from late in the third quarter and into the fourth. Following an ugly 0-3 start and head coach DeMeco Ryans' defense of Caley, Stroud's intuition and execution of the offense may extend forward to Week 5 on the road against the Ravens.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Improves against Tennessee
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Stroud completed 22 of 28 passes for 233 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions in Sunday's 26-0 win over the Titans. He added four rushes for 11 yards.
Stroud took some time to find his rhythm, totaling only 82 yards on 14 pass attempts before halftime. He looked far more comfortable in the final two quarters, going 12-for-14 for 151 yards with three completions of at least 20 yards, including a 24-yard touchdown pass to Jayden Higgins. While Stroud's final line wasn't outstanding, it was still an encouraging result as he took advantage of a favorable matchup to post season-high marks in touchdowns and passing yardage.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Another pair of picks in loss
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Stroud completed 25 of 38 passes with one touchdown and two interceptions and rushed four times for 22 yards in the Texans' 17-10 loss to the Jaguars on Sunday.
Another sluggish day for the Texans offense saw Stroud toss his second and third interceptions of the season on the Jaguars' 19 and four-yard line, respectively, in the second half. The second pick was a true back-breaker, as it came with 27 seconds remaining and Houston seemingly on the verge of going in for a game-tying touchdown. Stroud and his teammates on that side of the ball have looked out of sorts through three games, albeit against the tough defenses of the Rams, Buccaneers and Jaguars. Stroud will look to rebound in a Week 4 home matchup against the vulnerable Titans defense.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Ugly start to 2025
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Stroud completed 19 of 27 pass attempts for 188 yards, no touchdowns and one interception while taking five carries for 32 yards in Sunday's 14-9 loss to the Rams.
Stroud struggled to finish drives Sunday, leading three lengthy possessions that ended in field-goal attempts. A second-half interception cemented the signal-caller's poor outing and a loss to begin the 2025 campaign. Stroud and his fantasy managers were hoping for a better start after the offense petered out down the stretch last season. Houston will have an extra day to figure things out offensively before hosting the Buccaneers on Monday Night Football in Week 2.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Sharp on two drives Saturday
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Stroud completed six of eight passes for 44 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions in the Texans' 20-3 preseason win over the Panthers on Saturday afternoon.
Stroud played the first two series, getting his first taste of running new coordinator Nick Caley's offense in game action. The third-year signal-caller was impressive with his opportunity, benefiting from good protection and hitting Nico Collins with a fourth-down touchdown pass of five yards to cap off a crisp 11-play, 60-yard march during which he completed passes to four different targets. Stroud certainly got quality work in Saturday, so it remains to be seen if he'll log any snaps during the preseason finale against the Lions on the road next Saturday.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Not on track to start Saturday
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Stroud is not in line to play in Saturday's preseason opener against the Vikings, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
With the Texans resting a number of starters Saturday, Davis Mills will start at QB in place of Stroud. The third-year signal-caller's next chance to see game action will arrive Aug. 16 against the Panthers.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Transforms body
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Stroud made it a point during the offseason to rework his body after a sophomore season of regression in 2024, DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN.com reports. "I've been working really hard on getting my body right -- losing body fat, trying to be faster, stronger," Stroud said. "And it went really well. ... [Working] pocket mobility, running out the pocket, throwing the rock. Everything kind of works hand in hand."
Stroud looks to rebound from his second NFL season, when he saw dips in passing yards and touchdowns while throwing seven more regular-season interceptions than in his rookie season. It's a hopeful sign that Stroud is putting in the work this offseason, but there are other areas of the offense that need to improve in 2025. Houston ranked 22nd in yards per game (319.7) and 19th in points per game (21.9) while managing to win the AFC South for a second consecutive season. That drop cost offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik his job, as the Texans replaced him with Nick Caley, who was the pass game coordinator and tight ends coach for the Rams last year. In addition to what will be a new playbook, the offensive line needs to be better. Stroud was sacked 52 times during the regular season and taken down 11 more times during the playoffs.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Throwing at mandatory minicamp
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Stroud (shoulder) is throwing at the start of mandatory minicamp Tuesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Stroud took part in 7-on-7 drills with the first-team offense, per Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle, and a video recorded by Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston shows the third-year quarterback participating in padded throwing drills without any apparent discomfort. Coach DeMeco Ryans consistently downplayed Stroud's right shoulder soreness during voluntary OTAs, saying he had "no concerns," and the 2023 first-round pick is ready to build chemistry with new wide receivers Christian Kirk, Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Managing minor pectoral issue
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Stroud isn't currently throwing during voluntary team activities due to a tight pectoral, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Stroud watched from the sideline Friday during practice while backup quarterback Davis Mills ran the offense. Per Wilson, Stroud's injury isn't considered a long-term problem, and the star QB could increase his activity as soon as next week. Texans offensive coordinator Nick Caley downplayed the issue Friday, saying that there are "no concerns whatsoever" about Stroud, echoing what coach DeMeco Ryans stated earlier in the week.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Can't escape Kansas City pass rush
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Stroud completed 19 of 28 passes for 245 yards without a touchdown or an interception in Saturday's 23-14 divisional-round loss to Kansas City. He added 42 rushing yards on six carries.
The story of the game was the Texans' inability to protect Stroud. The second-year QB was brought down eight times, three times by George Karlaftis alone, and Stroud needed help getting off the field after the last sack late in the fourth quarter while apparently dealing with a foot or ankle injury. He did return for the final play however, a kneel-down with seven seconds left, so Stroud would seem to be OK. His overall body of work took a step back from his rookie campaign, and Stroud completed 63.2 percent of his passes for 3,727 yards and a 20:12 TD:INT over 17 regular-season games while also being sacked 52 times -- 14 more than in 2023. Injuries to his wide receiver corps played a role in Stroud's regression, but expect Houston to focus on upgrading his protection this offseason as well.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Leads one effective drive
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Stroud completed all six of his pass attempts for 50 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 23-14 win over the Titans.
The Texans entered Week 18 locked into the fourth seed in the AFC, so Stroud played for only one drive. He ended a disappointing season in strong fashion, completing four of his passes to Nico Collins -- including a two-yard touchdown. Stroud and the Texans will now await a home matchup against either the Steelers or Chargers in the first round of the playoffs.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: QBs to Sit
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As of Wednesday afternoon, it seems like the Texans will play their starters for some of Sunday's game at Tennessee, but not the whole contest. Stroud could clearly do well in limited action, but he's scored more than 20 Fantasy points just once since Week 6. He had 19.7 Fantasy points against the Titans in Week 12, but that was in a full game. It's hard to trust Stroud if he's not playing four quarters, and that doesn't seem likely with Houston locked into the No. 4 seed in the playoffs, no matter what happens in Week 18.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Banged up entering Week 18
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Stroud admitted to being banged up Tuesday as the Texans prepare for Sunday's game at Tennessee, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans acknowledged Stroud is dealing with soreness, as many NFL players are at this point of the season. The quarterback practiced Monday, and while he looks like he'll be available to play Sunday, Houston is locked in as the fourth seed for the AFC playoffs and can't improve its position. Though Ryans suggested that all players healthy enough to suit up will play -- including Stroud -- the Texans could turn the game over to backup players at some point during the contest.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Oversees inept offense in Week 17
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Stroud completed 17 of 31 pass attempts for 185 yards, no touchdowns and one interception while adding seven rushing yards on his only attempt in Wednesday's 31-2 loss to the Ravens.
Stroud never seemed to settle in at any point during the Week 17 contest, missing a handful of short passes to open receivers that doomed several offensive drives. The sophomore quarterback was forced to miss one play at the end of the first half after losing feeling in his throwing arm following a sack, and while he returned to action for the next play, he wasn't able to get much going the rest of the game. The Texans have already locked up first place in a weak AFC South division, but Stroud and most of the team's key offensive starters are likely to play at least a couple drives in Week 18 against the Titans as the team looks to establish some momentum heading into the playoffs.
