Will Houston Texans Quarterback C.J. Stroud play in the Hall of Fame Game?

The Houston Texans will play their first preseason game Thursday against the Bears, but will quarterback C.J. Stroud play?

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 will kick off the 2024 NFL preseason against the Chicago Bears on Thursday in Canton, Ohio at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in the annual Hall of Fame Game.

The game will coincide with legend Andre Johnson becoming the first player in franchise history to be enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The Texans will take the field as the visitors, while the Bears have been designated as the home team.

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This matchup will mark Houston's second all-time appearance in the Hall of Fame game and their first since 2002, which took place before the franchise’s inaugural season. For the Bears, it will be their sixth trip to Canton. Their most recent trip came ahead of the 2018 season.

However, the first preseason game will be a way for rookies and several fringe players to prove their worth on an NFL level, which means several of the Texans star players will not play for the team's preseason opener.

Following Day 9 of training camp practice at the Houston Methodist Training Center, Coach DeMeco Ryans was vague about which players would play in Houston's preseason opener. Among them was second-year star quarterback C.J. Stroud, who Ryans said, "We’ll see,” when asked about his availability.

"Any time we line up, it’s real," Ryans said. "For the guys who are out there, it’s important,” Ryans said. “That’s the first thing that we have to understand that all these guys are vying for a spot on this team. They’re vying for a spot – a chance to play in the NFL and make it, so we don’t take it lightly."

Stroud finished his rookie season with 4,557 total passing yards, including the postseason, which is the second-most in NFL history by a rookie quarterback — trailing only Andrew Luck (4,662) in 2012. He led the Texans to a 10-7 regular season record, marking the most wins by the franchise since 2019. 

As a result, Stroud received his first Pro Bowl nod while receiving Offensive Rookie of the Year honors, which coincided with the league's Defensive Rookie of the Year, teammate Will Anderson Jr.

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Follow Coty M. Davis on Twitter at @CotyDavis_24.

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