C.J. Stroud to start for Texans in preseason opener against Patriots

C.J. Stroud will be the next starting quarterback for the Houston Texans at some point or another. Heading into his rookie season with the franchise, though, the No. 2 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft has already received his first nod.

Jane Slater and Tom Pelissero were in Houston this morning for ‘Good Morning Football’ on the NFL Network. During their time with the Texans today, head coach DeMeco Ryans went ahead and shared with them that Stroud would be the team’s starter in their preseason opener in New England on Thursday night.

#Texans coach DeMeco Ryans told @SlaterNFL and me that No. 2 overall C.J. Stroud will start Thursday’s preseason opener against the #Patriots. Full interview coming soon on @nflnetwork

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) August 7, 2023

Stroud has remained within a quarterback battle with Davis Mills, the Texan’s starter over the past two seasons, during training camp. Even so, the rookie’s passion for the sport and his commitment to his position has already stuck out to his head coach.

“The thing that has impressed me the most is his dedication to being as best as he could possibly be,” Ryans said earlier in camp. “What you see about (Stroud)? The work that and the preparation that he does when he’s not here. He’s a true football junkie. He loves football, always watching football. Always asking for extra cut-ups from our coaches. I’m just impressed with the mental part of him. And just how much he loves the game of football.”

“When your guy has that much love for the game of football? He has no chance but to continue to get better and improve,” Ryans said. “That’s what I’ve seen with (Stroud) from OTAs till now. Each day, he’s done what we’ve asked and he’s gotten better each and every day. CJ’s just continuing to keep his head down and just grind. He’s not worried about what reps he gets, who’s he out there with. He has just worried about maximizing his rep and that’s what I asked for from everyone.”

Stroud was naturally going to see many reps during the course of preseason play. The big question was just whether it was going to be more of a learning opportunity for him or actual preparation to be the team’s opening starter. However, the team might be getting closer to answering that question with Stroud earning the designation against the Patriots.

Stroud shares takeaways of Texans’ playbook

 CJ Stroud, who still finds himself in a quarterback battle with Davis Mills heading into his rookie season, said Sunday he has fallen in love with their offense. He briefly compared it to the one he excelled in at Ohio State.

“I fell in love with it,” Stroud said. “Different style than what I played in in college. But there’s some similarities to it as well. Very timing-based — I’ve actually really dove deep into it with (the coaching staff).”

“Just a lot of late nights studying. A lot of early mornings studying. Just trying to get this thing and know it like the back of my hand.”