The first half of the season hasn’t gone according to plan for the Houston Texans. After failing to get the offense going last season, their problems on that side of the football didn’t go away this year either.
But, in recent weeks, it seemed like the team had turned a corner after starting 0-3. Unfortunately, as they went against the Denver Broncos in Week 9, they may have dealt a brutal blow to quarterback C.J. Stroud.
What Happened to C.J. Stroud?
Thanks to the porous offensive line for Houston, some games turned squeamish with the amount of hits and pressure their potential franchise quarterback had to deal with on a seemingly weekly basis.
But against the Broncos, things came to a head as the former second overall pick tried to take off on the ground. As he tried to slide to finish the play, he took a hit from Broncos cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine.
Immediately, his head snapped back and hit the ground, with the worry of a concussion imminent. As he lay on the ground for an extended period of time, concerns began to mount before he was walked off the field.
Uh oh… CJ Stroud is down after that hit.#Texans #CJStroud #NFL pic.twitter.com/ZVKZ6h1we7
— Aggregate Sports (@AggregateSports) November 2, 2025
In his stead, the team sent out David Mills, as reported by Mike Garofolo of the NFL Network. “Davis Mills in for the #Texans after C.J. Stroud took a shot at the end of a run. Head hit the turf hard.”
The Texans later announced that Stroud was being evaluated for a concussion. As the third quarter started, Stroud was ruled out and Davis Mills took his place. If he has to miss extended time, then the blow would be catastrophic for a team that is already struggling, as they are the 25th-ranked offense in the league based on PFSN’s Offense Impact metric.
What Does Stroud’s Injury Mean for Fantasy?
Stroud is not exactly on the fantasy radar, but he is in charge of an offense that features plenty of relevant players. Davis Mills is far from the worst backup in the league, but he’s a considerable downgrade for Nico Collins and the rest of the wide receivers.
Fantasy managers are never benching Collins, but anyone considering Christian Kirk, Jaylin Noel, or Dalton Schultz would have to reconsider if Stroud has to miss a game. The Texans would likely try and lean more on Nick Chubb and Woody Marks.
However, that is unlikely to be successful without their starting quarterback.