C.J. Stroud took to the field on Tuesday during the Houston Texans’ mandatory minicamp, showcasing his skills as he led the offense without any apparent discomfort. The former Louisville quarterback missed some of the organized team activities (OTAs) with some shoulder soreness. He attributed this unease to a rigorous training program over the offseason focused on increasing his overall strength and speed.
The ankle soreness cleared up in time for minicamp, and Stroud was able to return to participating fully with the first-team offense. On Day 1 of the camp, he demonstrated his typical high-end throwing velocity. He built successful chemistry with both rookie wideout Jayden Higgins and veteran receiver Christian Kirk during both 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 periods.
Stroud was confident about his recovery, calling the previous soreness “a little overstated.” He stated, “I never thought too much of it. It’s not that big of [a deal]. And I did not get surgery or anything like that.” He was present on the practice field for the first time with media in attendance. His throwers-only reassurance came after he missed all of OTAs’ first three weeks of throwing.
Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans provided insight into why Stroud hadn’t thrown at all earlier in the offseason. He stressed a conservative gameplan to protect the rookie quarterback. “It’s important for me to just make sure we’re protecting him,” Ryans noted, reflecting a careful management strategy as Stroud continues to develop his skills.
Despite those initial worries, Stroud was all smiles for most of practice. He mentioned with a smile, “I was already throwing before you guys got to see me out there, pretty normally. I think y’all don’t have much to talk about so everything is blown up.” His understated demeanor reflected his view that soreness is just part of playing quarterback. He doubled down on this feeling during his media availability.
So when onlookers didn’t observe any blatant pain in practice, that relieved a lot of fears about Stroud’s shoulder. His increased ability to throw sharper, more precise passes and lead the offense with poise bodes well for a promising 2021 campaign.
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