Houston Texans: C.J. Stroud listed as starting quarterback in unofficial team depth chart

In lieu of what was a tough NFL preseason debut, quarterback C.J. Stroud remains on top, unofficially. In a recent update to the Houston Texans' unofficial depth chart, the talented rookie was listed as the primary signal caller for the club according to KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. 

Head coach DeMeco Ryans has made clear numerous times that the starting quarterback job will ultimately be decided via a two-man competition between Stroud and incumbent starter Davis Mills. The latter of which had an excellent start to the 2023 preseason in Foxborough, completing 9 of his 12 passing attempts for 99 yards and a touchdown. Though no announcement has been made on the topic, these latest developments do raise some questions.

 Could the change in the unofficial depth chart offer clues as to who has the upper hand? Will Stroud ultimately be the man behind center entering the regular season? 

Solely going off of game statistics, one would think that Mills has the upper hand in the competition, but it is Stroud who continues to get extra runs with the first-team offense during practice. The prized rookie has been praised for his leadership and poise by his teammates and took to the podium following the Patriots game to affirm his dedication to learning from his mistakes.

The second overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft, Stroud was a force to be reckoned with at Ohio State. In 25 games, the 21-year-old completed 69.3% of his passes for 3,688 yards, 85 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions according to Sports Reference. That proficiency has been evident in spurts throughout Texans camp this offseason. 

Time will tell who ultimately takes the reigns of the blue and white, but with such a significant investment and large workload with the starters in practice, it will come of little surprise if Stroud is chosen as the guy behind center.

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