Houston Texans starting quarterback C.J. Stroud was looking to help his team win their ninth straight game on Sunday, dueling against rookie quarterback Riley Leonard and the Indianapolis Colts at NRG Stadium in Houston.
Stroud played the first half against the Colts, but was taken out at halftime.
What’s Happening With Texans QB C.J. Stroud?
Entering Sunday’s game, the Texans already were assured of a spot in the NFL playoffs. They were hoping to potentially win the AFC South Division title. The Texans would have needed the Tennessee Titans to beat the first-place Jacksonville Jaguars for that to happen.
But Jacksonville and quarterback Trevor Lawrence jumped out to a big lead. With Titans starting quarterback Cam Ward out with an injury, the Jaguars put the hammer down and were well on their way to a win.
Stroud was taken out at halftime and replaced by backup quarterback Davis Mills. Stroud helped the Texans up their lead in the first half with this nifty run into the end zone.
That’s our QB 😁
📺 : @nfloncbs / @paramountplus pic.twitter.com/uNjAY19UXG
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) January 4, 2026
In wrapping up his day, Stroud was 14-of-23 passing for 169 yards and two touchdowns, one passing and one rushing. The Texans have gotten four field goals from kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn, along with two PATs, to help Houston take a 26-24 lead in the third quarter.
There was no indication that Stroud was injured, either.
According to the PFSN NFL QB Impact Metric, Stroud has an impact score of 76.0 and grades out to a C. Entering Sunday’s regular-season finale, Stroud had 2,872 passing yards, 18 touchdown passes, and eight interceptions with a 64.8% completion percentage on the season.
Stroud has shown signs of being as good as in his previous seasons. However, he has also missed some time this season, leaving Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans to put Mills into the starting role. With the NFL playoffs approaching, the Texans’ head coach wants to ensure Stroud stays healthy and in good shape.
Mills will play the rest of this game against the Colts. Indianapolis has been a thorn in the Texans’ side for a long time. Houston wants to keep its winning streak alive, while the Colts, behind Leonard, want to end their six-game losing streak in front of a rowdy crowd in Houston.
Editor’s Note: This is a breaking news story and will be updated throughout the day as more information becomes available.
