Quarterback C.J. Stroud attended an event for his eponymous foundation on Sunday, and the Houston Texans star delivered a fitting message to a room full of children that, while not totally football-related, certainly applies to his current situation.
Among his talking points, Stroud told the kids to embrace the challenges they face.
Stroud is coming off a trying season with the Texans that has left his future in question amid little momentum on an extension.
C.J. Stroud Delivers Fitting Message Amid Texans Uncertainty
GettyC.J. Stroud continues to embrace the challenges he has faced.
Stroud was at the Houston Huddle Backpack Blitz at the Houston Texans YMCA on Sunday, handing out backpacks. He reflected on his journey, not just in the NFL, but on his way to the league.
“There’s beauty in my struggle, there’s beauty in your struggle,” Stroud said, per KPRC 2’s Aaron Wilson on July 26. “Hard work is sacrifice for the greater good of our future.”
The words stand out amid what, by all accounts has been his best offseason.
Stroud navigated an injury last offseason. It limited him when he was supposed to be getting acclimated to then-first-year offensive coordinator Nick Caley’s offense. This offseason, Stroud was healthy and showed a greater command.
“There was probably a lot of issues we had last year, just getting a lot of scrimmage, hurrying up to get the play off,” Texans quarterbacks coach Jerry Schuplinski said during a media session in June. “The big thing we pushed on all of our offense is getting the huddle right, getting the play call in, getting the play call, breaking the huddle fast, using the shift, being able to use the motion, and still have plenty of time to operate–and also use cadence with that.”
The Texans also made a major change that should take some of the burden off Stroud this coming season.
Texans’ Trade Bodes Well for C.J. Stroud
GettyDavid Montgomery is expected to have a significant impact on the Houston Texans.
Former NFL player and scout Bucky Brooks lauded the Texans’ trade for running back David Montgomery. He picked it as the “one offseason move that could tilt” the AFC South. Brooks noted that it should give Stroud a break.
“After watching C.J. Stroud descend from the heights of his transcendent rookie campaign over the past two years, the Texans acquired a veteran running back to alleviate some of the pressure on the 24-year-old quarterback,” Brooks wrote on July 24. “Montgomery played like an RB1b in an offense that punished opponents with a dynamic running game.
“His rugged running style and knack for hitting paydirt will fill the void created in Houston by Joe Mixon’s health downturn, adding balance to a Texans offense that has relied too much on Stroud to move the ball against elite opponents. Houston’s low-cost trade — the Texans gave the Lions IOL Juice Scruggs and a pair of Day 3 draft picks — should prevent future postseason meltdowns from a quarterback who had five fumbles (two lost) and five interceptions in two playoff games this past January.”
Stroud could fail to rebound from a rough postseason. The Texans have at least created a soft landing spot for a replacement with the Montgomery trade and their other offseason changes.
C.J. Stroud Sends Fitting Message After Strong Words From Former Scout