Houston Texans QB C.J. Stroud Status Revealed vs. Chicago Bears

The Houston Texans will be playing primarily reserves against the Chicago Bears in the exhibition contest.

Jul 29, 2024; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) during training camp at Houston Methodist Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports / Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

The Houston Texans and Chicago Bears will play in Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio on Thursday -- and it will officially mark the kickoff of the new NFL season.

Training camps are rolling through and teams are preparing for preseason football, the final stages of the offseason before another regular season begins. For the Texans, there is a lot to like. With second-year quarterback CJ Stroud and second-year head coach DeMeco Ryans leading the way, the club added a few star talents this offseason to build a Super Bowl-contending roster.

Fans are going to have to wait to see the new-look starting lineup in action, though. According to Aaron Wilson, the Texans are expected to rest "a majority of starters" against the Chicago Bears.

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Newcomers like wide receiver Stefon Diggs, running back Joe Mixon and defensive lineman Danielle Hunter won't quite hit the gridiron for Houston. On the other side of the contest, the Bears are holding out former USC superstar Caleb Williams, putting his NFL debut on hold.

There's no point in running a risk to get any newcomers or the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year to suffer some sort of injury -- on any scale -- over an exhibition contest.

The Texans head coach broke down the process behind the decision.

“With this first preseason game being an extra game for us, we’re really looking to see most of our young guys get out and compete and see if they can take the things we’ve been teaching them daily from the field and take it and show up when the lights are on,” Ryans said. “That’s the main thing you’ll see in this first Hall of Fame game. You’ll see a lot of young guys, who are vying for a spot to make it in the NFL. It will be great to see those guys go out and compete."

Keep an eye out for a player like Kamari Lassiter, whose play in the secondary could really swing things defensively in Houston this season. Expect to see plenty of young guys, specifically rookies, in action, though.

“You guys will all see who plays on Thursday,” Ryans said. “I’m not going through a list of who’s playing, who’s not playing. I’m not going through that list. You guys will see on Thursday who steps out there.”

No matter what, the Texans are mounting for a thrilling season. Using reps like these for the young guys to get established early could help them in their push for Super Bowl contention, too.

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