C.J. Stroud has five games in his NFL career, barely a quarter of the way into his premiere season.
While everything de jure says Stroud is a rookie, Tytus Howard takes the de facto that the Houston Texans quarterback is not.
“He may be a rookie, but’s he’s not a rookie,” Howard told reporters following Houston’s 21-19 loss to the Atlanta Falcons.
Hardly any of the Texans’ third loss on the season can be pinned on Stroud. If anything, the No. 2 overall pick tried his hardest to deliver Houston victory. With 1:54 to go, Stroud connected with tight end Dalton Schultz on an 18-yard touchdown, capping off an 11-play, 75-yard drive. However, the defense couldn’t hold the Falcons, and Stroud left Mercedes-Benz Stadium getting robbed of a comeback thanks to a field goal.
The Texans’ field general extended is streak of pass attempts without an interception to start a career to 186.
“That guy’s special, so we follow him,” said Howard. “He leads us, and he is going to take us a long way.”
Where Stroud next leads the Texans is back home to NRG Stadium to host the New Orleans Saints Sunday at 12:00 p.m. Central Time. A win would improve Houston’s record to 3-3, a mark they have not achieved since 2018.