'He's Not A Rookie!' Houston Texans' Tytus Howard Applauds C.J. Stroud

Houston Texans right tackle Tytus Howard played with "special" rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud for the first time this season on Sunday.

Houston Texans right tackle Tytus Howard made his season debut on Sunday after spending the past few weeks on IR from hand surgery.

The 27-year-old watched rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud exponentially gain the NFL world's attention from the sidelines, but he was able to protect him on the field for the first time against the Atlanta Falcons.

Stroud had the opportunity to perform in the clutch for the first time in his career, and he delivered with an 11-play, 75-yard drive that ended with an 18-yard touchdown pass to tight end Dalton Schultz.

Howard was amazed by the 21-year-old's poise and calmness on Houston's final offensive drive.

“He may be a rookie, but he’s not a rookie," Howard said in the locker room after the game. "That guy’s special, so we follow him. He leads us, and he is going to take us a long way. "That drive is what we have to be every drive. And if we can do that every drive, the offense will take us a long way.”

Houston Texans right tackle Tytus Howard (71) and quarterback C.J. Stroud (7)

Howard and the rest of the offensive line played a very solid game, as they allowed Stroud to only be hit twice but never sacked. The up-and-coming quarterback was happy with how his front five performed on Sunday.

"I don't flinch, and that has to do with the guys around me," Stroud said during the post-game press conference.

Howard was happy with his individual performance for the most part in his first game back.

“I feel good," Howard said. "I felt like it's always stuff you can work on to get better. I felt like it felt pretty good being out there, so I’m only going to get better every week.”