CJ Stroud injury: Texans QB goes down, exits game vs. Jets before halftime

After a second-quarter sack, CJ Stroud stayed on the turf with an injury as the Houston Texans got ready for fourth down. He later walked off the field under his own power and exited the game before a missed field goal with 27 seconds to go in the half.

Stroud walked off the field with a limp, but didn’t go to the medical tent, according to KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. It was a good sign for the Texans, who had a 7-0 lead at the time their quarterback went down.

After the Jets went three-and-out, the Texans got the ball back with five seconds left. Stroud then returned to take the knee before they headed to the locker room with a seven-point lead.

Neither Houston nor New York was able to get much going through the first half. The Jets appeared to take a lead, but Malachi Corley dropped the ball before the goal line and it rolled out the back of the end zone. That meant it was a touchback and the Texans got the ball.

CJ Stroud struggled with efficiency in the first half, completing 7-of-16 passes for 115 yards and also taking four sacks. Aaron Rodgers also had a rough go, though, as he went just 7-for-14 for 32 yards before halftime.

Joe Mixon provided quite the jolt for the Texans offense, though. He scored the game’s lone touchdown while totaling 91 rushing yards to lead the charge through the fist two quarters.

Houston is dealing with a slew of injuries on offense, notably at wide receiver. Stefon Diggs suffered a season-ending knee injury in last week’s win over the Indianapolis Colts and Nico Collins is nearing his return from a hamstring injury. He’s eligible to come off injured reserve next week, and indications are he’s progressing well.

As for the Jets, they’re looking to right the ship after a loss to the New England Patriots to fall to 2-6 on the season. The Jets have had a rough go since parting ways with head coach Robert Saleh, losing all three games under interim Jeff Ulbrich despite making a trade for Davante Adams.