CJ Stroud shares mindset in quarterback battle

CJ Stroud still finds himself amidst a quarterback battle heading into his rookie season with the Houston Texans. Even so, he isn’t approaching that competition any differently than anything else that he does as a player.

Stroud talked about his thought process amidst his battle with Davis Mills during a media availability over the weekend. He said he isn’t bringing a different mindset into it as he wants his focus to be on the right things. To him, he just wants to beat himself every day by trying to improve through hard work.

“I feel like, when you try to have a different mindset, you confuse yourself. So, for me, I just keep my head down and I work,” said Stroud.

“Just try to work harder and harder every day. Just trying to beat that person in myself,” Stroud said. “Trying to beat that negative person and just trying to be the best person that I can be on and off the field.”

Stroud will make his case as the team’s starting quarterback considering his draft status alone. With the Texans selecting him second overall this past spring, he is going to be the franchise’s starter at some point or another.

If he wants it to be now, though, he has to show he can handle it, especially in comparison to Mills. Mills has started 26 games for Houston over the past two seasons. In that time, he has totaled 33 touchdowns to 25 interceptions with just five wins on his resume.

That’s why, with Stroud, Houston will want to give him the keys to the car at some point. The question now is when they think he’ll be ready to officially take them as he continues his development through training camp and into the NFL’s preseason.

Terms of Stroud’s contract revealed after signing with Houston

The ink is drying and one thing is official, CJ Stroud is the face of the Houston Texans.

The former Ohio State superstar, who the franchise drafted with the second overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft, finally signed his rookie contract on Monday, setting in motion a new era in Houston.

“The #Texans and QB CJ Stroud, their No. 2 overall pick, have agreed to terms on his four-year rookie contract, and he gets $36.3M overall with a signing bonus of $23.38M, all fully guaranteed,” tweeted NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. “He gets his entire signing bonus up front, a first for Houston.”

The Texans have continually shown their enthusiasm for having him as their quarterback, and their hefty signing bonus for the former Ohio State quarterback is more proof of that. After searching far and wide for a quarterback, Houston finally has their own.