The Houston Texans are a very intriguing team for the upcoming NFL season. However, now that they’ll face the Los Angeles Chargers, quarterback CJ Stroud will be in the eyes of everyone to see if he plays or not.
Per Yahoo! Sports, Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans admitted starters won’t suit up, meaning CJ Stroud won’t play vs. Chargers in their preseason opener. On the opposing side, Justin Herbert’s status vs Texans has also been revealed.
Stroud is getting ready to play in the regular season, where he’ll have to earn a new contract. After his rookie year, CJ Stroud looked as the future of the NFL, but after that, he’s been declining heavily. This means the Texans haven’t offered a new contract right now.
CJ Stroud’s preseason stats
Stroud’s preseason numbers have been inconsistent throughout the years. However, he’s also been very limited, giving that he is the QB1 of the team. The Texans won’t risk having him there for an extended period of time and then get him injured.
Another day, another Marlin TD pic.twitter.com/IOR4zmz2WM
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) August 10, 2026
| Year | Completions | Attempts | Passing Yards | Touchdowns | Interceptions | Passer Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 9 | 16 | 73 | 0 | 1 | 42.4 |
| 2024 | 2 | 4 | 41 | 1 | 0 | 117.9 |
| 2025 | 6 | 8 | 44 | 1 | 1 | 127.1 |
| TOTAL | 17 | 28 | 158 | 2 | 2 | 76.2 |
The Texans have high hopes for the 2026 NFL season
Scoring on the Texans is an absolute nightmare. Houston had an elite, borderline historic defense last season. The unit remains pretty much the same for this year. Hence, they know they are capable of going far.
On offense, the Texans still have Nico Collins as the WR1 and Tank Dell is returning to join Jayden Higgins as well. Also, they added running back David Montgomery to the mix. If Stroud is able to pull back time and play like he did as a rookie, he could realistically guide the Texans all the way to a Lombardi.
