It felt inevitable watching the way the Houston Texans operated. Behind an offensive line that couldn’t offer virtually any protection for their quarterback, the hits kept piling on. Quarterback pressures, hits, and sacks were a regular occurrence throughout the season for C.J. Stroud.
Ultimately, though, it was a scramble from the quarterback, which resulted in a dirty hit as he slid down, that caused Stroud to miss their Week 10 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. While the team was able to pull out the win, all focus is on his availability in Week 11 against the Tennessee Titans.
Will C.J. Stroud Play Against the Titans?
After one of the best rookie seasons from a quarterback in recent memory, the youngster hasn’t found the same level of success from an individual production perspective in the two years since. (QBi Rankings: 5th in 2023, 33rd in 2024, 19th in 2025)
Some of that has been a direct result of their offensive line, while injuries to the wide receiver corps haven’t helped matters. Still, thanks to an excellent defense constructed by head coach DeMeco Ryans, they’ve remained a viable playoff threat.
That defense was on full display in Week 10, when even without Stroud, the team was able to mount a historic fourth-quarter comeback against a divisional rival in the Jacksonville Jaguars.
With another divisional game on the horizon, the focus is back on Stroud. Recovering from a concussion, his status remains uncertain for the game, with the quarterback still sensitive to light as recently as Friday.
Ryans confirmed that he’s still in concussion protocol starting the week. However, Stroud’s mother, Kimberly, in a conversation with Click2Houston, was more optimistic about her son’s chances of playing.
“I just want to thank everyone. He is progressing day by day. Of course, he wants to play. He’s doing better each day. So, thank you for your prayers.” The last time Stroud suffered a concussion, in 2023 as a rookie, he missed two contests as a result.
This time around, Houston will be hoping for a quicker recovery timeline. But against the only one-win squad in the NFL, they have at least a slight margin of error when it comes to their game in Week 11.
At 4-5, just one game shy of the Jacksonville Jaguars in the standings, the Texans aren’t fully out of the playoff race yet. As a result, they’ll be hoping to get Stroud back as soon as possible to at least have a puncher’s chance to make it to the postseason.
