Since incurring the injury in Week 14, Stroud has been in concussion protocol. The Houston Texans got some good news on Wednesday when quarterback C.J. Stroud returned to practice for the first time in nearly three weeks.
Stroud has been out since Week 14 after suffering a concussion in Houston’s loss to the New York Jets. He also missed the Titans’ and Cleveland Browns’ Christmas Eve games.
On Sunday, Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans informed NFL Network’s Stacey Dales that Stroud was making improvement and was present at team meetings. Ryans told the reporters following Wednesday’s practice that Stroud is in Phase 4 of the regimen.
CJ Stroud tossing ball around before individual drills begin #Texans pic.twitter.com/pjxkOuY7qT
— Shaun Bijani (@ShaunBijani) December 27, 2023
“It’s encouraging to have CJ back out at practice today,” Ryans said. “It lifts everybody’s spirits to see him back, doing well and still progressing in the right direction. Right now, he’s in [Phase] 4 of the concussion protocol, [and] he still has one more phase.
“We’re just looking for efficiency. Being able to command a huddle. Being efficient with the plays that we’re asking him to run. … You’re looking for him to be comfortable in the moment. And the main thing is you want to keep the defenders off of him as much as possible, so we don’t have another hit and make him go backwards. We want to make sure we’re protecting him.”
Stroud was second in the NFL in passing yards (3,631) prior to his injury in Week 14.
The Texans complete the season with games against the Tennessee Titans and the Indianapolis Colts. They are currently tied for first place in the AFC South with the Indianapolis Colts and the Jacksonville Jaguars, but owing to tiebreakers, they are just outside the playoff picture.
In the absence of Stroud, the frontrunner in the Offensive Rookie of the Year competition, there has been a significant surge in the candidacy of Los Angeles Rams receiver Puka Nacua.
With just two games left in the season, Nacua, drafted at the 177th-overall pick, is poised to surpass the NFL’s single-season record for catches by a rookie—previously held by the Miami Dolphins’ Jaylen Waddle, who caught 104 passes in 2021. During the two games that Stroud missed, Nacua showcased his prowess by securing 14 receptions, amassing 196 yards, and scoring a touchdown. Presently, Nacua boasts 96 receptions for 1,327 yards and five touchdowns across 15 games, positioning him strongly in the Rookie of the Year conversation.
Leave a Reply