After sitting out OTAs, one NFL analyst believes that Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud could be hiding a serious arm condition. Normally, a veteran quarterback will arrive at OTA to throw a couple of passes to loosen the arm and shoulder. The throws shake the metaphorical rust off, the period of inactivity during the offseason. Usually, quarterbacks do not start throwing the ball with purpose until camp.
Houston Texans’ QB C.J. Stroud’s OTA Absence Sparks Injury Conjecture
Signed players from all 32 NFL teams head to their respective OTAs. However, when Stroud missed practice once again, red flags were raised. Without a contract issue or granted leave, the only reason for him not to attend is injury. Nebulous answers from the head coach only worsen the situation when figuring out the problem.
For Stroud to completely miss the session doesn’t make sense. Moreover, hearing head coach DeMeco Ryans dismiss the situation as “general soreness” does not prevent speculation regarding his health from hitting the airwaves. Pro Football Talk analyst and former NFL quarterback Chris Simms questioned if the soreness excuse provided by the head coach covers a deeper medical issue.
“First off, let me say this. If he had gotten shoulder surgery, we would have heard it. I have a hard time thinking that’s the deal here. This has all the signs to me, Mike, of tendinitis. General soreness. To me, this has all the signs of ‘I started throwing. Maybe I threw a little too much at first, and now the inside of my elbow hurts.’ And if you’re not in shape for that or you don’t approach it the right way when you get back into it.”
Simms played for five years in the league as a quarterback, so that he would know the signs. In a likely scenario, Stroud stayed a bit too long on throwing routes. The good quarterbacks always try to build chemistry with the new wideouts. Stefon Diggs signed with New England. Tank Dell tore three different knee ligaments along with damaging his meniscus, which pushes his timeline back to the 2026 season.
As a result, the Texans invested money and draft capital in several wide receivers. Houston traded for Christian Kirk back in March. In addition, the franchise drafted Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel, both from Iowa State. While Nico Collins should be the prime target, building cohesion with the other wideouts cannot be understated.
In his favor, the Houston quarterback will not lack for athletic options, either in the slot or vertically. Under those circumstances, if Simms’ assertion checks out, you can see why Stroud currently experiences elbow pain.
Not only did the Texans get young in the expansive receiver room, but they also added athleticism and depth, which could be a recipe for success.