Texans' C.J. Stroud Remains in Concussion Protocol; Status Uncertain for Titans Game

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud remains in the NFL's concussion protocol, putting his status for Sunday's game against the Tennessee Titans into doubt.

Aaron Wilson of KPRC reported the Rookie of the Year favorite will not practice Thursday. He will still have one more chance to practice Friday, at which point we will likely get a better idea of his status.

Stroud exited last Sunday's loss to the New York Jets in the fourth quarter and was replaced by Davis Mills. Before leaving the game, Stroud had the worst game of his rookie season, completing 10 of his 23 passes for 91 yards and failing to throw a touchdown. It was just the third time all season Stroud failed to throw for a touchdown in a game.

The Ohio State product has put together one of the best rookie seasons for a quarterback in league history. He's thrown for 3,631 yards and 20 touchdowns against five interceptions while leading the Texans to a 7-6 record—tying their win total from the last two seasons combined.

Mills will once again be under center if Stroud is unable to go. The third-year quarterback is 5-19-1 across 26 NFL starts while serving as Houston's primary starter in 2021 and 2022. This is by far the best roster Houston's ever fielded around Mills, but the downgrade in quarterback play will be seismic.

The Texans currently sit in a six-way tie for the final two Wild Card playoff spots in the AFC. Losing Stroud for a winnable game against the Titans could be a death knell to their postseason hopes.