Jalen Thompson Sends C.J. Stroud Out of Action After Huge Hit

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud got the wind knocked out of him thanks to Jalen Thompson.

ARIZONA -- The Arizona Cardinals are locked into a tight battle with the Houston Texans, and for just a moment, the entire attendance of NRG Stadium held its breath when C.J. Stroud went down and appeared to be in pain after Cardinals safety Jalen Thompson came screaming down the middle to deliver a crushing hit. 

shot out of a cannon 😤@jt_broooo x #BirdGang pic.twitter.com/voXWNKoztl

— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) November 19, 2023

Stroud stayed on the ground for a second clutching his chest before being forced to the sideline for one play. Texans quarterback Davis Mills came in and completed the sole attempt of his duration (a screen pass to Devin Singletary) before Stroud came back out.

The following play, Stroud delivered a clutch third down throw to extend the drive. 

Stroud has been very impressive this season, and that's continued through the entire first half against Arizona. Despite one interception, Stroud completed 18-24 passes for 259 yards and two touchdowns in the first half.

Houston's offense went down to the Arizona 20-yard line on four of their five first half drives, and the lone drive that didn't resulted in a long touchdown to Tank Dell. 

The Texans currently lead Arizona 21-10 in the early stages of the third quarter.