C.J. Stroud suited up for the first time in preseason against the Las Vegas Raiders, looking strong in his one drive, leading the Texans down the field for a touchdown.
Although he performed well, it was his unique warm-up routine that drew the attention of the NFL world. Naturally, they took the time to make fun of his warm-up, but one doctor came to his defense, explaining why it’s a valuable exercise.
Doctor Defends Texans’ C.J. Stroud From Trolling
Stroud busted out a new warm-up technique ahead of his preseason debut. He stuck out his thumbs and moved his eyes back and forth to each thumb. It looked goofy and prompted the NFL world to go after Stroud.
“CJ Stroud cannot be on camera without losing aura points,” said Polymarket Football.
CJ Stroud cannot be on camera without losing aura points. 😭 pic.twitter.com/BcEoJaFbrZ
— Polymarket Football (@PolymarketBlitz) August 21, 2026
The jokes poured in because no one has ever been spotted doing an exercise to work on cognitive skills as Stroud did. Some went as far as to compare the warm-up to a field sobriety test.
“Nothing like a good field sobriety test to get you locked in,” said one fan.
“Trying to mount a TV on your wall,” another fan remarked.
Trying to mount a tv on your wall pic.twitter.com/rOQxTOAhHM
— Pardon My Take (@PardonMyTake) August 21, 2026
Even major gambling companies like PrizePicks got in on the joke.
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“Looks like what Tony Romo had to go through a couple weeks ago,” PrizePicks added.
Looks like what Tony Romo had to go through a couple weeks ago
— PrizePicks (@PrizePicks) August 21, 2026
While many members of the NFL world went straight to trolling, others were simply interested in what Stroud was doing to prepare.
“Very intrigued by CJ Stroud’s warm-up tonight,” said one fan.
For those intrigued, luckily one doctor had the answer. Doctor Brian Sutterer described its value as a motor skills exercise.
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“Horizontal and vertical saccades exercises, can be done as part of a concussion assessment as part of vestibular/ocular motor screening (VOMS). Can also be used for rehab and training,” said Sutterer.
Horizontal and vertical saccades exercises, can be done as part of a concussion assessment as part of vestibular/ocular motor screening (VOMS)
Can also be used for rehab and training https://t.co/t0n4DKYHAg
— Brian Sutterer MD (@BrianSuttererMD) August 21, 2026
To put it in simpler terms, Stroud was warming up his eyes and sharpening his cognitive skills for game time. Former NFL player Su’a Cravens came to his defense as well.
“Cognitive exercises brotha,” said Cravens.
Cognitive exercises brotha
— Su’a Kristopher Cravens (@SuaKCravens) August 21, 2026
Stroud has been the center of a lot of jokes after a tough 2025 season.
He was the 15th-ranked quarterback in PFN’s QB Impact score. His season ended with a disastrous playoff performance against the New England Patriots, in which he threw four interceptions. Now, he’s looking to prove the doubters wrong in 2026.
