Why aren't the Houston Texans letting Stroud speak to the media

The Houston Texans opted to keep new franchise quarterback CJ Stroud from speaking at the team's rookie minicamp last week. Is this continued proof of the team's lack of faith in the rookie?

When the Texans drafted Ohio State Quarterback CJ Stroud second overall in the 2023 NFL draft, there was speculation that the move was forced upon them by Texans' owner Cal McNair. Since then, the Texans staff has kept Stroud from addressing the media at rookie minicamp, which leads us to ask: Do the Texans staff believe in Stroud?

During the head coach's press conference, Houston Chronicle's Brooks Kubena asked Ryans about the availability of CJ Stroud to the media. In his question, he compared the availability of the other rookie signal callers, who were all made available to the press by their teams, to Stroud.

You can see the interaction at the 8:40 mark below.

While DeMeco Ryans has said many good things about Stroud, his actions have spoken louder. Not letting the rookie speak creates speculation that the head coach does not trust him. Additionally, Stroud was the only rookie quarterback in the NFL not permitted to speak at their team's rookie minicamp. While this incident could be a non-issue, there are only pros to keeping the young signal collar from speaking if you believe he is ready.

The questions that media members would ask Stroud during this time are easy, too. People typically want to know how the travel's been and how the person feels about Houston. Every rookie says they like their new place and are excited to be there. It's not a complicated press conference or a big deal, so why didn't the Texans let him speak?

Do the Houston Texans' head coach DeMeco Ryans and general manager, Nick Caserio trust Stroud yet?

The Texans let Will Anderson Jr speak; we know he comes from an Alabama brand. At Alabama, they're trained to respond and communicate at the podium. I'm unfamiliar with what Ohio State does for its players, but it may not be good enough for the Texans to feel comfortable with Stroud at the podium.

Again, this could be a non-issue; it's just an observation that I saw that rubbed me the wrong way. Everyone in Houston wants to hear about the new franchise quarterback and hear him speak. The Texans have hyped up how much they like him as a person, but they won't share that person with us.

Could all this be a non-issue? Absolutely. Are we reading too much into it? Potentially. Unfortunately, it could also be a sign of the Houston Texans' need for more trust in their supposed franchise quarterback.