Early in the 2nd quarter of Sunday's game versus the Denver Broncos, Houston Texans quarterback CJ Stroud was knocked out of action with what we immediately assumed was likely a concussion. Stroud walked gingerly off the field, made a brief trip to the blue medical tent, and then retreated to the locker room.
Just moments ago, the Texans officially confirmed that Stroud was out for the remainder of the game with a concussion, proving everyone's worst fears to be true.
Unfortunately, Stroud isn't the only Texans starter whose afternoon ended prematurely due to a head injury.
Starting tackle Tytus Howard, the lone holdover from a disastrous offensive line group in 2024, also has been ruled out against the Broncos with a concussion. This pair of injuries puts the Texans offense behind the eight-ball in a significant way, but fortunately, the league's best defense plays in Houston, and thus far, that unit has shown up and done the majority of the legwork on Sunday afternoon.
The Texans presently have a 15-7 led, with all 15 points coming by way of the right leg of kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn.