HOUSTON, TX — After the Houston Texans suffered a crushing defeat to the Cleveland Browns last week that pushed them down to the No. 8 seed in the AFC playoff hunt, Houston finally received good news on Wednesday, December 27. Texans’ rookie quarterback, C.J. Stroud, returned to practice ahead of the pivotal AFC South matchup against the Tennessee Titans this Sunday.
The leading candidate for Offensive Rookie of the Year, Stroud, who sat out the last two games due to a concussion suffered on December 10 against the New York Jets, participated in practice on Wednesday, marking a significant step in his recovery.
Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans provided updates on Stroud's progress, stating that the 22-year-old quarterback reached Phase 4 of the five-step concussion protocol. This phase allows Stroud to engage in "club-based non-contact training drills." The final stage involves clearance from both a club physician and an "independent neurological consultant" for "full football activity."
Houston Texans Rookie Quarterback CJ Stroud (Contributed: Sports Illustrated)
Stroud's impact on the Texans' offense has been substantial this season, amassing 3,631 yards and 20 touchdowns on 62.4 percent passing. Impressively, his five interceptions rank as the fewest among the 17 NFL quarterbacks with at least 19 touchdowns this season. Although a recent injury interrupted his historic rookie campaign, Stroud has already set a single-game record for passing yards by a first-year player, recording 470 yards in a game.
Ryans addressed the media on Wednesday afternoon to discuss Stroud and the upcoming matchup against the Titans. Check out the press conference below:
Stroud was on pace to break more records this season, but due to missing two games, he might not hit that mark. To match Andrew Luck's rookie passing yards record (4,374), Stroud would need to average 371.5 yards over the next two games. The Texans and Titans are set to kick off at noon this Sunday at NRG Stadium. Houston enters the weekend in a three-way tie for first place in the AFC South.
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