The Houston Texans turned their franchise around almost overnight.
DeMeco Ryans, C.J. Stroud and Will Anderson Jr. have led them to contention, but they still need to take a leap.
It seemed like they were going to be a Super Bowl contender last season, but instead, Stroud showed worrisome signs of regression.
Though the Texans still managed to make the playoffs, it feels like this should be a redemption season for them.
That’s why former NFL lineman Damien Woody is worried about what he’s seeing right now, with concerns about Stroud and his pass protection.
“When was the last time the Houston Texans played a game? Back in January, right? They haven’t played a game since January, and your quarterback’s not throwing in the offseason, no contact? To me, that’s red flags everywhere. … When you combine what you’ve seen from Houston as far as the quarterback not throwing, they got issues aloong the offensive line … this situation in Houston, offensively, worries me,” Woody said, via NFL on ESPN.
“This situation in Houston offensively worries me.”@damienwoody explains why he sees red flags with CJ Stroud not throwing during OTAs 🚩 pic.twitter.com/hoY6zBgXpp
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) June 9, 2025
Woody has a valid point, as it has been five months since Stroud took the field.
Nevertheless, it seems like it’s way too early to sound the alarms.
Stroud is reportedly dealing with some soreness in his shoulder, and the team is doing the right thing by playing it safe.
It’s hard to believe that he hasn’t done any throwing in months, and even if that’s the case and he gets a little behind in his preparation, he shouldn’t need that much time to ramp things up and get back into playing shape.
As for the offensive line, that will be a story to keep an eye on.
Last season, they struggled to keep a clean pocket, and that played a big part in Stroud’s year-two regression.
