NFL News: C.J. Stroud teammate reveals what he thinks of Texans captain's potential

The Houston Texans have high expectations according to their own players. Having gone to the NFL Playoffs but failing to be a serious contender, it’s time for them to take a step forward into that upper tier. According to a new player on the roster, it’s C.J. Stroud who makes or breaks the Texans’ season.

During an interview with SiriusXM NFL Radio, Christian Kirk revealed that Stroud is the key for the team’s success. Stroud’s new weapon said “The thing that sticks out about C.J. is he’s super mild-mannered, but he has a lot of confidence, he’s smart, he sees things well.”

Kirk went on to add, “He’s going to take this team as far as we want to go, with him being at his best.” Entering his 8th season in the NFL, Kirk is a veteran with plenty to offer and is ecstatic to play with Stroud.

The Texans wide receiving corp needs depth

The NFL is a contact sport so injuries are bound to happen. However, it seems like some sort of witchcraft has fallen over the Texans wideouts. Tank Dell has suffered season-ending injuries in both of his years in the league and it’s already announced he will miss all the 2025 action.

Christian Kirk #13 of the Jacksonville Jaguars reacts during the third quarter against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium on September 23, 2024 in Orchard Park, New York.

Last year, Stefon Diggs suffered an ACL injury and Nico Collins played only 12 games due to a harmstring issue. Kirk is one of the Texans additions to help C.J. Stroud out. They also added former Patrick Mahomes teammate Justin Watson, and drafted Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel.

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Now, Kirk has a history of injuries, which might not be the best news for Texans’ fans. In fact, he played 8 games in 2025. He missed more than half a season due to a broken collarbone. Hope is he can stay healthy as the Texans push for success.

How did the injuries impact C.J. Stroud?

Even if you’re an incredibly talented quarterback, not having your best weapons at your disposal will take a toll on your level. Stroud had a lesser season in his second year in comparison to his rookie season.

His first time in the league, he threw for 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns and only 5 interceptions. Last year, he played two more games but decreased in every category. Stroud threw for 3,727 yards, 20 TDs and 12 INTs.

This means that not having much of his weapons for a big part of the season did affect Stroud… That and the fact that he was sacked 52 times. No receivers and no protection will cost you a lot. Houston also addressed the offensive line issue this offseason. The Texans brought 5 O-Line men in Free Agency and spent a second round pick on Aireontae Ersery. They identified the issues and now it’s time for the new faces like Kirk and the linemen to deliver.