Texans rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud has progressed to taking some first-team reps with Houston’s offense. But that doesn’t mean he’s already solidified himself as QB1.
After the day’s practice, head coach DeMeco Ryans told reporters that Stroud’s reps were a natural part of the team’s competition at quarterback between the No. 2 overall pick and Davis Mills.
“Both of our guys, they’ve been rotating each week,” Ryans said in his press conference. “You guys who’ve came to practice, you’ve seen we’ve rotated those guys each week and this happened to be the week that C.J. is with the Ones.”
Ryans did not give a timeline for when he’d like to settle on a starting quarterback, noting that the competition will continue during the summer.
“We’ll see where that process goes in training camp and see, as the competition continues to grow, we’ll see who separates themselves,” Ryan said. “And that decision will take care of itself.”
After Houston selected Stroud with the second overall pick, it stands to reason that he’ll have every opportunity to be the team’s starting quarterback for Week One. But Ryans’ comments make it clear that Stroud will have to earn that role.
