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CJ Stroud injury update: Texans QB goes down hard, exits game after scary illegal hit vs. Broncos

Barkley-Truaxby: Barkley Truax11/02/25BarkleyTruax
CJ Stroud
Dec 15, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) drops back in the pocket during the first quarter against the Miami Dolphins at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Texans QB CJ Stroud hit his head hard on the turf after taking a massive hit by Broncos CB Kris Abrams-Draine in the second quarter on Sunday. Stroud was taken to the locker room for further evaluation. He was later ruled out of the game.

Stroud was attempting to scramble on the play and wasn’t able to slide in time to avoid the hit. A flag was initially thrown for a potential illegal hit on Abrams-Draine, but after review it was found that no contact was made to the head or neck area and it was picked up.

Davis Mills was brought in after Stroud exited the game and led the Texans to a field goal to give Houston a 6-0 lead. Stroud left the game after leading his offense to a field goal during the opening drive.

The slow start for both offenses was expected, as the Texans and Broncos feature two of the NFL’s best defenses this season. Houston’s defense came into this game giving up the least amount of yards per game with 266.9.

Meanwhile, the Broncos have recorded the most sacks in the NFL — coming into the day with 36.0 tackles. That’s 10.0 sacks more than any other team in the league this season, and is a big reason why the Broncos have won their last five games.

For Stroud, he finished the game playing 6 of his 10 passing attempts for 79 yards. Heading into the game, Stroud has completed 66.8% (155-232) of his passing attempts for 1,623 yards and 11 touchdowns compared to five interceptions.

Stroud is in his third season in the NFL after a stellar career at Ohio State. He was eventually selected with the second overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft by the Texans, and has been the team’s starting quarterback ever since.

Stroud, at least in terms of the stats, regressed a little bit during year two in 2024. Still, he led the Texans to the playoffs for the second straight year.

Last season, Stroud threw for 3,727 yards, 20 touchdowns, 12 interceptions and a 63.2% completion percentage in 2024. In two years, he has 7,835 yards, 43 touchdowns, 17 interceptions and a 63.5% completion percentage.

Fans can watch the rest of the Broncos-Texans matchup during Week 9. The game can be viewed live on FOX.