Stroud has earned the 3rd-highest NGS passing score in the NFL when not under pressure this season (91)

Masterful in upset victory

Stroud completed 20 of 30 passes for 280 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions in the Texans' 37-17 win over the Jaguars on Sunday. He also rushed three times for 14 yards.

Analysis: While the Dolphins' 50-point drubbing of the Broncos arguably qualified as the most eye-catching score of the early window of games Sunday, the Texans' 20-point road victory that Stroud spearheaded has to qualify as a close second. The rookie looked like anything but an inexperienced player while facing a defense that had given Patrick Mahomes and his squad plenty of trouble in Week 2, not taking any sacks or committing any turnovers while connecting with eight different pass catchers. Stroud…read more

Practices fully Friday, will play

Stroud (shoulder) doesn't have an injury designation ahead of Sunday's Week 3 game against the Jaguars.

Analysis: Stroud practiced in full Friday and will continue to play through his minor shoulder issue. Playing from behind all afternoon in Week 2, Stroud threw for 384 yards and two touchdowns. He's not yet a fantasy QB1 but has positioned himself on the back end of the QB2 map.

Managing shoulder injury

Stroud (shoulder) is close to 100 percent healthy despite having his reps limited in practice during the week, Deepi Sidhu of the Texans' official site reports.

Analysis: Stroud intends to play Sunday against the Jaguars, though he may carry an official injury designation into the game, just as he did in Week 2 against the Colts before throwing for 384 yards and two touchdowns. The Texans plan to manage the rookie quarterback's practice reps moving forward to keep the shoulder from worsening. Stroud played through a similar injury at Ohio State in 2021.

Logs full practice Thursday

Stroud (shoulder) was a full practice participant Thursday.

Analysis: Stroud was listed as a limited participant Wednesday, but his full participation a day later sets the stage for him to start Sunday's game against the Jaguars. Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle relays that Stroud, who dealt with shoulder soreness last week, feels almost "100 percent," and barring any setbacks, the rookie shouldn't face any limitations Week 3. Two games into the season, Stroud has thrown for 626 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions to go along with seven…read more

Listed as limited Wednesday

Stroud (shoulder) was a limited participant in Wednesday's practice.

Analysis: Stroud threw for 384 yards and two touchdowns on 47 attempts while playing through shoulder pain in Sunday's 31-20 loss to Indianapolis. With no report of the rookie having suffered any setbacks, he'll likely suit up again Week 3 at Jacksonville even if he remains limited at practice Thursday and/or Friday. Brooks Kubena of the Houston Chronicle reports that Stroud didn't throw much during Wednesday's practice, mostly working on handoffs with the running backs instead.

Outstanding yardage total in loss

Stroud completed 30 of 47 passes for 384 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions in the Texans' 31-20 loss to the Colts on Sunday. He also rushed three times for one yard and committed two fumbles, losing one and recovering the other.

Analysis: The turnover and shaky ball security wasn't completely surprising considering Stroud was missing four starting offensive linemen overall, but the rookie signal-caller persevered through constant pressure and a sore shoulder he entered the game with to put together an excellent statistical performance during which he showed good command of the offense. Stroud connected with Nico Collins (eight yards) and Tank Dell (23 yards) for touchdown passes in the first and fourth quarters, respectively,…read more

Cleared to start Sunday

Stroud (shoulder) is active for Sunday's game against the Colts.

Analysis: Added to the injury report Friday after he was a limited participant in the Texans' final Week 2 practice session due to soreness in his (right) throwing shoulder, Stroud took a questionable tag into the weekend. As anticipated, Stroud was able to warm up earlier Sunday without any major restrictions, so he'll get the green light to make his second career start. The rookie signal-caller will be working behind a depleted offensive line, however, as left tackle Laremy Tunsil (knee) is inactive,…read more

Expected to play Week 2

Stroud (shoulder) is expected to suit up for Sunday's game against the Colts, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Analysis: Stroud popped up on Friday's injury report and is officially listed as questionable for Week 2 with a sore throwing shoulder, but the Texans don't believe the issue is serious enough to keep the rookie quarterback sidelined Sunday. Official word on Stroud's status will come around 11:30 a.m. ET, when the Texans release their inactive list approximately 90 minutes prior to Sunday's kickoff. In his NFL debut in the Texans' Week 1 loss to the Ravens, Stroud completed 28 of 44 passes for 242 yards…read more

Iffy for Week 2 with shoulder issue

Stroud is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Colts after being a limited participant in practice Friday due to a right shoulder injury.

Analysis: Stroud had been off the Texans' injury report all week until he was added Friday on account of the shoulder issue. it's unclear if Stroud entered Friday's session already nursing the injury or if he hurt his shoulder at some point during practice instead. Regardless, fantasy managers considering the rookie quarterback in Week 2 lineups are now advised to track his status ahead of Sunday's 1 p.m. ET kickoff. In the event that Stroud is unable to play, the Texans would be left with Davis Mills…read more

Solid in pro debut

Stroud completed 28 of 44 passes for 242 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions and rushed four times for 20 yards in the Texans' 25-9 loss to the Ravens on Sunday. He also lost a fumble.

Analysis: The rookie finished with some very serviceable numbers despite relatively sparse preseason playing time, and the fact he did it against such a formidable defense was especially impressive. Stroud's one turnover did lead to three Ravens points, although Houston was already down 13 in the fourth quarter at the time. The rookie second overall pick connected with nine different targets overall, which may have been one of the most encouraging aspects of his performance. With the seal now officially…read more

Officially named Week 1 starter

Coach DeMeco Ryans named Stroud the Texans' Week 1 starting quarterback after Sunday's preseason win over the Saints, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Analysis: Stroud didn't see much volume during Sunday's preseason finale, but he completed two of four pass attempts for 16 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions. The touchdown was his first of the preseason, and the rookie No. 2 overall pick will officially begin the 2023 season under center for Houston. In total, Stroud completed 11 of 20 passes for 89 yards, a touchdown and an interception over his three preseason games. Stroud has some rushing potential, but his 2023 fantasy upside is limited…read more

Scores quick TD

Stroud completed two of four pass attempts for 16 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's preseason finale against New Orleans.

Analysis: Stroud started Houston's first two offensive drives Sunday, finishing his brief appearance with a touchdown pass to Nico Collins after going three-and-out on the team's first possession. The promising rookie has been operating the first-unit offense all preseason despite not being officially named Week 1 starter by head coach DeMeco Ryans. Assuming this pattern holds true, Stroud will make his first regular-season start against the Ravens on Sept. 10.

Sunday start on tap

Stroud is slated to start Sunday's preseason finale against the Saints, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Analysis: The assignment will mark Stroud's third straight exhibition start, and the rookie signal-caller is expected to log about two series' worth of action, according to Drew Dougherty of the Texans' official site. Once Stroud gets his reps in against New Orleans, he'll turn his focus to preparing for Houston's Sept. 10 regular-season opener against the Ravens.

Starts first half Saturday

Stroud completed seven of his 12 pass attempts for 60 yards and no touchdowns or turnovers in Saturday's preseason loss to Miami.

Analysis: Stroud got to play the entire first half in his second preseason start while incumbent Davis Mills (10-for-22, 94 yards) entered after halftime, all but confirming that the former will start under center for Houston. The second-overall pick from this year's draft did not post a gaudy line, but it was a marked improvement over his first start where he completed just two passes while throwing a pick. Stroud will now attempt the difficult ask of developing as a rookie starter -- with a rookie head…read more

Draws Saturday start

Coach DeMeco Ryans said Thursday that Stroud will start Saturday's preseason game against the Dolphins, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Analysis: Stroud, who also started the Texans' preseason opener against the Patriots, has been taking full first-team reps for almost two weeks, according to Brooks Kubena of the Houston Chronicle. Though Houston's Week 1 starting signal-caller hasn't been confirmed, Pelissero suggests that this weekend's assignment represents one more step for the second overall pick in this year's draft being Houston's No. 1 QB.

Picked off in preseason debut

Stroud completed two of four passes for 13 yards and an interception in Thursday night's 20-9 preseason-opening win over the Patriots.

Analysis: Stroud started in his first NFL action and was sacked and picked off on the opening drive. The second pick in this year's draft played only two series before giving way to Davis Mills, who completed nine of 12 passes for 99 yards and a touchdown and lost a fumble. Stroud should get more playing time next Saturday against Miami.

Named starter Thursday

Stroud will start Thursday's preseason opener against the Patriots, per coach DeMeco Ryans, Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network reports.

Analysis: Stroud will make his NFL debut Thursday. The second overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft is competing with Davis Mills for the starting quarterback job in Houston, but considering Stroud has been receiving the vast majority of recent first-team reps, the starting spot is his to lose.

Gets all first-team reps

Stroud took all the first-team reps Saturday for a second consecutive day, Deepi Sidhu of the Texans' official site reports.

Analysis: Stroud and Davis Mills had been splitting first-team reps each day during 11-on-11 drills, but that pattern changed Friday and Saturday. "With C.J., what I've seen is he's definitely made adjustments," Houston head coach DeMeco Ryans told Sidhu after Friday's session. "He's getting the ball out quick, he's making the proper reads." This could be a sign that Ryans plans to have Stroud start Thursday's preseason opener against New England.

Commanding the huddle

Houston head coach DeMeco Ryans noted Stroud's "command of the huddle" as an area of progress for the rookie quarterback, John McClain of SportsRadio 610 reports. "With college players now, a lot of it is looking to the sideline, and they see a signal or a picture, and that's their play," Ryans said. "But here, we're asking them to operate from a huddle, which is new."

Analysis: Stroud continues to share first-team reps with Davis Mills, and Ryans mentioned a few areas of improvement before anointing the rookie as the No. 1. The coach referenced Stroud's footwork and progressions, which are things he's working on with coaches. Ryans made it a point to keep Stroud from being overwhelmed by giving him one thing per day to work on instead of multiple items.

Not No. 1 QB yet

Houston head coach DeMeco Ryans is not yet ready to name Stroud the starting quarterback, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports. "When that time comes it's going to be the best guy that I feel like is going to lead our team in a proper way," Ryans said.

Analysis: Stroud, the Texans' second overall pick in the 2023 Draft, and Davis Mills, entering his third NFL season, are sharing first-unit reps in the early days of camp. That's a scenario that will likely persist through the first preseason game against New England, per Brooks Kubena of the Houston Chronicle. Stroud had a couple of key moments during Thursday's session, including a touchdown pass to tight end Dalton Schultz on a two-minute drill that came after an interception on the previous series.…read more

Working with first unit

Stroud is getting first-team reps this week, though coach DeMeco Ryans suggested Davis Mills will continue working with the starters as well, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Analysis: The Texans are rotating first-team reps by week, rather than by day, giving Stroud and Mills the opportunity to throw to starters in consecutive practices. While Ryans downplayed its significance, it's certainly not a bad sign for Stroud that he's the one leading the way at June minicamp, the final team activities before training camp begins in late July. The No. 2 overall pick won't be simply handed the Week 1 starting job, but he is being given every chance to prove he's ready for the…read more