Report: Texans Want to See C.J. Stroud in 'Stressful Situations' Before Naming QB1

The Houston Texans are reportedly waiting to see how C.J. Stroud does in preseason games until naming him their Week 1 starter.

Dan Graziano of ESPN reported the Texans coaching staff wants to see Stroud handle "stressful situations" before locking him in as starter.

"He didn't have much experience navigating a messy pocket at Ohio State. In the NFL, the pocket is always messy. So how does he handle that? You can't know until you see it," a source told Graziano.

Stroud has been working with the first-team offense throughout the offseason, and it would be a surprise if he was ultimately not named the starter. Davis Mills has 26 NFL starts under his belt over the last two seasons and could be a short-term stopgap, but the Texans did not use the No. 2 pick on Stroud to have him watch from the sidelines.

Texans offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil told reporters Stroud has already been acting like a leader in the locker room.

"Man, you should have seen how he came in the building," Tunsil said. "He came in the building already a leader. He voices himself in the huddles. He's one of those guys that's like, 'Yo, I'm going to lead, and y'all just follow me.' That's what we're doing, It's not surprising at all."

The Texans are expected to have an improved offense this season with second-year running back Dameon Pierce providing consistency in the backfield and the acquisition of wideout Robert Woods and tight end Dalton Schultz giving Stroud reliable underneath pass-catchers. John Metchie III was also recently cleared for action after missing the 2022 season while undergoing treatment for leukemia.

As it stands, Stroud should have a more reliable offense around him than the one Mills struggled with the last two seasons.