Texans QB C.J. Stroud resumes throwing

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud was throwing without any limitations during the team’s first minicamp practice on Tuesday.
Stroud did not throw last week at Houston’s organized team activities, with head coach DeMeco Ryans referring to “general soreness” as the reason that the quarterback wasn’t testing his arm.
Stroud downplayed the situation with reporters on Tuesday.
“I was already throwing — before you guys see me out there — pretty normally,” Stroud said. “I think y’all don’t have much to talk about so everything just gets blown up in the offseason. I’m fine, man. I’m really OK.
“… I felt great. I’m very grateful to be back out on the field. A little rusty, made some throws, missed some throws. Just very grateful to be out there with the guys.”
Ryans explained his decision to sit Stroud as a means of protecting himself.
“C.J.’s a competitor,” Ryans said. “Last week, C.J. was adamant about going out and practicing. It just showed the type of person C.J. is. For me, as the head coach, it’s important for me to make sure that we’re protecting him. … Not really worried about the outside opinions of other people. Nobody knows the information about our players more than me. I’m going to make sure I always do what’s in the best interest of our players, first and foremost, with their health and wellness. So that’s why the decision was made with C.J. today and he looked pretty fine.”
Stroud, 23, followed up Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2023 by seeing his numbers dip in 2024. His yards per game dropped from 273.9 in 2023 to 219.2 in 2024, and his interception total jumped from five to 12.
In two seasons with the Texans, Stroud is 19-13 with 43 touchdowns, 7,835 yards and a 93.7 passer rating. The No. 2 overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft also has two wild-card playoff wins under his belt.