The league may not be ready for what C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans can do this coming season, but it will fall on the fourth-year QB to make it so, and there are doubts that he can deliver the goods.
So far, Stroud has done all the right things. He owned up to his shortcomings at the end of last season. He then went about working this offseason to shore up some of his deficiencies.
On Tuesday, Stroud sparked some promising commentary.
C.J. Stroud Turns Heads in Training Camp Practice
GettyC.J. Stroud out on a show in practice on Tuesday.
Stroud has been under the microscope for the past two years. The scrutiny intensified this offseason following his poor showing in the postseason. On Tuesday, Stroud was dialed in, though, drawing rave reviews.
“CJ Stroud looked real good today, his best day in 2yrs of training camp #HtownMade,” BR Texans’ Harley Dugan posted on X on August 4.
Sleeper affiliate Jacob Barzilla also praised Stroud’s efforts on the day.
“It’s still very early in camp and a lot can change but I feel confident saying this is the best C.J. Stroud has looked in a training camp in his years in Houston. He’s making good & quick decisions playing against probably the best defense in the NFL,” Barzilla posted.
“He’s made plays under pressure to multiple WRs not named Nico Collins. … It’s looked clean mechanically and accuracy has been on point.”
Stroud was on point throughout the day.
“CJ Stroud was damn near perfect today in one one ones, 7 on 7 & team,” Houston Stressans’ Garrett Williams posted on X, including clips of the QB’s day of work that the team originally shared. “He made elite throw after elite throw.”
Stroud and teammate Azeez Al-Shaair spoke about the competitiveness of this camp. But the commentary following practice came after strong feedback from various league figures.
C.J. Stroud Slides in QB Tiers
GettyC.J. Stroud has plenty of motivation for the upcoming season.
The Athletic’s Mike Sando released his annual QB Tiers piece on Tuesday, complete with telling remarks from coaches and executives, as Stroud declined for the second straight year.
Sando noted that Stroud received nearly triple the amount of Tier 3 votes than he had over the 2023 and 2024 seasons combined. He also noted a “theme” of “ambivalence” around Stroud. There is uncertainty about just what the Texans QB is as a player.
One defensive coordinator questioned putting Stroud in Tier 3 due to his past two seasons.
However, that same coordinator said Stroud is still “a [Tier] 2 if I’m being fair.” The remark underscores a critical aspect of the discussion.
That is whether Stroud’s situation with the Texans has been given the proper weight in his struggles over the past two seasons. Failures along the offensive line and ineffectiveness in the ground game have put a lot on Stroud.
Another DC said this is a “big year” for Stroud, but believes the Texans QB is capable.
The tricky part for the Texans is that there is only so much they can tell in practice. For all of its value, it is still very different from a game.
Red Flag Raised C.J. Stroud
GettyC.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans got a harsh reality check from the rest of the league.
The biggest takeaway from Sando’s piece is arguably that there are significant questions about Stroud’s ability to process, particularly when under duress.
“He’s starting to fall into that category of a quarterback who’s hard to protect,” an unnamed executive said, per Sando, adding that Stroud “doesn’t beat you at the line and get the ball out. He holds the football, and then when he holds the football, he makes mistakes.”
A coach noted the Texans work to upgrade Stroud’s supporting cast.
“They’ve signed some pro offensive linemen this offseason,” the coach said, per Sando. “He plays hurried sometimes because he thinks he’s going to get rushed. Then it looks s—-y when he’s not rushed. But he thinks he is, and then people are like, ‘What is this kid doing, making bad decisions when he’s not under duress?”
Another coach noted that Stroud is heading into his second year with his second offensive coordinator.
The second coach believes former Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik got fired due to poor offensive line play, not because of Stroud. It will be up to current Texans OC Nick Caley to put Stroud in a position to succeed to the best of his ability.
“The old system is a little friendlier to quarterbacks who are not as fast processing,” the second coach said, per Sando. “Last year, it looked like C.J. might be one of those guys. Hopefully it was just first year in the system, but I do wonder, do you have to make it easier for this kid so he can play fast?”
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