C.J. Stroud has had two strong seasons to start his NFL career with the Houston Texans.
Heading into year three, a change could be on the way.
Stroud is expected to do more of his own work at the line of scrimmage this fall, gaining more power to change plays or calls pre-snap.
That’s what Texans offensive coordinator Nick Caley, newly installed in that role, wants from Stroud. He told reporters about it this week at OTAs.
“I think it’s like anything else: the more you can do, the better off you’re going to end up being,” Caley said. “He wants to have the ability to be able to have control. And when you’re at that position, there’s a lot of great value in being able to fix problems that come up, or unscouted looks that come up, and it doesn’t happen overnight– that’s for sure. It’s repetition. It’s comfort with the offense. He’s working hard, he’s done a good job, and we’ll just keep growing that.”
If Stroud can get comfortable with this responsibility, it should only make him better.
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The former Ohio State star put together a Rookie of the Year season in 2023 with 23 TDs and only five interceptions.
The Texans still went 10-7 in 2024, but Stroud’s numbers declined a bit to 20 TDs and 12 INTs with a slightly worse completion percentage.
It’s fair to expect Stroud to learn from some of those struggles and be better in 2025.
Houston fans will just have to hope that Stroud’s relationship with his new offensive coordinator is the right fit. The Texans have plenty of skill-position talent, and they’ve got the correct right arm at the helm of it all. It’s got a chance to be a big season in Houston.
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