Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud was ruled out with a concussion after being hit hard by Denver Broncos’ Kris Abrams-Draine.
Stroud had been taken to the locker room for evaluation after suffering the first-half injury.
Davis Mills replaced Stroud on the field and remained under center for the remainder of the game.
Stroud, 23, is Houston’s franchise cornerstone. He had an incredible rookie season in 2023, throwing for 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns and five interceptions, earning a Pro Bowl nod and the Offensive Rookie of the Year award in the process.
He didn’t take quite the jump expected in the 2024 season, throwing for 3,727 yards, 20 touchdowns and 12 picks, though poor offensive line play, questionable play-calling and a rash of injuries to his wideouts didn’t exactly help his cause.
Regardless, Stroud has now led the Texans to the playoffs in two straight seasons, with a 2-2 postseason record. He’s played well in those contests, throwing for 976 yards, four touchdowns and an interception, though to this point the Texans haven’t quite been up to the caliber of the AFC’s top teams.
The hope, of course, is that Stroud would take a major leap in year three, bolstered by a reworked offensive line and a few new weapons out wide, including veteran Christian Kirk and rookie Jayden Higgins.
“The idea behind adding those guys was to just add some veteran guys who have played for a while and have done it the right way,” head coach DeMeco Ryans told reporters about the offseason acquisitions of offensive lineman like Cam Robinson, Trent Brown, Laken Tomlinson and Ed Ingram. “Guys who play hard. [I] really wanted to enhance competition in the room.”
That hasn’t exactly happened, as Houston’s offense continues to disappoint. Regardless, keeping Stroud healthy and on the field is imperative—and was the basis for those moves—so Sunday’s injury is obviously a major concern.
Mills would remain at quarterback if Stroud is forced to miss more time.
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