C.J. Stroud is the most important player on the Houston Texans‘ roster. That’s why it was a worrisome sign when the QB1 started OTAs without throwing the football. Amid the alarms, head coach DeMeco Ryans had to update the NFL star’s situation regarding his shoulder.
Ryans opened up his Tuesday press conference with a calm demeanor, stating “there’s no concerns with C.J., it’s just general soreness“. The third-year HC also said Stroud will be “good to go” and that he has no worries about his availability.
This allows the fans and media to believe that Stroud won’t be facing any difficulties to start the season. However, follow-up questions regarding the shoulder of their QB1 where met with few words from Ryans.
“When he’s ready to go, he’ll be ready to go” were pretty much the answers for every question regarding the matter. No timeline was given by Ryans when asked about Stroud’s throwing the football again. While this might seem cryptic, it’s also an indicative that neither Ryans nor the team think it’s a serious injury.
C.J. Stroud #7 of the Houston Texans throws a pass in the first half of a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at NRG Stadium on November 05, 2023 in Houston, Texas.
Stroud is looking for a bounceback season
While he lit the NFL in his rookie season, the sophomore slump hit Stroud. The Houston Texans QB had a stellar first year in the big leagues, racking up Pro-Bowl numbers. He threw for 4,108 yds and 23 TDs to only 5 INTs.
Those numbers all fell a bit in his second season. His total passing yards were 3,727, a significant drop when you take into account that he played two more games. He tallied 20 TD passes and 12 picks.
Still, the Texans feel like Stroud is their present and future. His talent is unquestioned and the fans have his back. After all, he still won the AFC South in comfortable fashion. That’s why the news of him not throwing during his routine sessions sent alarming thoughts throughout Houston.
see also
NFL News: Texans QB C.J. Stroud loses teammate who won a Super Bowl with Eagles
How is the 2025 schedule looking for Houston?
While DeMeco Ryans says he is not worried, we’re left to wonder how the year will start for the Texans. After all, if Stroud does miss some of the early action, Houston needs to be competitive enough to keep things cool as the team waits for him.
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Looking at the calendar, it’s not the easiest of schedules to start off the 2025 NFL season for the Houston Texans:
- @ Los Angeles Rams, September 7th
- vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers, September 15th
- @ Jacksonville Jaguars, September 21st
- vs Tennessee Titans, September 28th
- @ Baltimore Ravens, October 5th
