C.J. Stroud's offseason improvements have been the talk of the offseason, in the same way that water is wet and dirt is brown.
From cutting his hair, to introducing a leaner physique and then improving in his running speed, Stroud has undergone several cosmetic and physical changes throughout the course of the NFL's offseason schedule. Speaking of running, Stroud becoming more of a dual threat option has started pickinpicking up more steam in recents weeks.
His teammate in running back Woody Marks recently commented on the fact that Stroud's legs might become a larger factor in the offensive game plan this season. On the surface, the addition of designed quarterback runs should be an exciting prospect for fans of the team, as several signal callers throughout the NFL have found great success in making it a staple of their play (Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, Trevor Lawrence, etc.)
KPRC 2 Texans Insider Aaron Wilson added to that sentiment yesterday in an OTA preview show on his Youtube channel. In it, he stated:
"When C.J's able to incorporate the running ability that he has into his game, I think it makes the offense much better. And, it should allow Nick Caley [offensive coordinator] to expand his playbook and take some pressure off several situations, including the pass blocking and the running game. To me, there hasn't been enough of that."
However, for as much as Wilson and others have clamoured for Stroud to be a better rusher, there's also a very grave reality that must be taken into account heading into 2026. Wilson himself spoke on it a few words later in in his opening statements, and it paints a potentially grim picture for Stroud if things repeat themselves like they did in 2023 and 2025. Plainly, concussions could completely derail Stroud if he doesn't protect himself as a rusher.
C.J. Stroud's concussion history is concerning if he fully commits to running
Continuing on Stroud, Wilson expressed:
"Of course, he has to do that in moderation [speaking of him rushing]. He has to be careful, he has to be willing to slide sometimes or run out of bounds or go down and take the sack. Obviously, you can't have more concussions, he missed three games last season. Yes, they won all the starts. Davis Mills did a commendable job, but that's not what you want ideally from the quarterback."
Wilson brings up a very great point, which is the fact that Stroud nearly missed a month's worth of games in 2025 due to a concussion suffered in week nine against the Denver Broncos. Add those to the two that he missed for a previous concussion suffered in week 14 against the New York Jets in 2023 and you have five total games missed in three seasons of play.
While Houston has gone 4-1 in games where Stroud missed time, the reality is their potential 10-year plan at quarterback has already suffered multiple significant blows to his brain before turning 25 years old. That's not a recipe for a long career in the NFL, and the Texans know that.
Stroud adding a rushing dimension has been something that fans and analysts have wanted since his time back in Ohio State four years ago. He's demonstrated that in spurts throughout his time in Houston, but being more situationally aware when it comes to protecting his body has to become more of a priority for Stroud.
Stroud has to be situationally aware as a rusher
Stroud is more of a "prototypical" pocket passer, meaning his inclination to run is not as high as his inclination to side step pressure and deliver the ball downfield. With that said, Houston's offense has benefited greatly when Stroud has broken contain and found his way down the sidelines for major chunk gains (i.e. vs. Los Angeles Chargers in 2024 AFC Wildcard, against Baltimore Ravens in week five last season).
It looks great when he's able to safely make the play and jog his way back to the huddle. But, it's horrifying when he ends up on his back in the middle of the field with team trainers and coaches standing over him in hopes that he can leave the field on his own.
We've seen it two-too many times in his very short career, and it shouldn't be something that continues if him and the team wants to maximize his time with the organization.
Stroud's running can unlock another level to the offense, but he needs to be smart about how he does it, and the caching staff needs to smart about when to deploy him and for how long.
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