C.J. Stroud Expected to Be OUT vs. Browns

The Houston Texans are likely to be without star quarterback C.J. Stroud for the second consecutive week.

Matt Galatzan | Dec 19, 2023

In this story:

Houston Texans

HOUSTON, TX -- According to reports from ESPN, Houston Texans star rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud is likely to miss his second consecutive game due to a concussion.

As of Tuesday, he has not yet cleared the concussion protocol.

Stroud suffered the concussion during the Texans blowout loss to the Jets in Week 14, forcing him to miss the team's overtime win vs. the Titans on Sunday.

In response to Stroud's status, the Texans signed reserve quarterback Tim Boyle from the Jets practice squad.

C.J. Stroud — Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

That said, should Stroud indeed be unable to go, Case Keenum is in line to get his second straight start for Houston, with Davis Mills serving as the backup.

In his previous start against the Titans, Keenum was able to manage the game well, completing 23 of 36 passes for 229 yards and a touchdown. That said, he did struggle at times throughout the day, and even threw a nearly disastrous pick-six in the first half.

Despite that, he was able to lead the Texans to a come-from-behind win, after trailing 13-0 late in the second quarter.

Could C.J. Stroud Miss Second Straight Game?

Unfortunately for the Texans, the Browns and their No. 1 ranked total bring a far more daunting challenge to the field than the Titans, giving up just 261 yards and 20.6 points per game. They are also top-10 in the NFL in takeaways and tied for fifth in the NFL in interceptions.

And with their playoff hopes on the line, facing that kind of defense with a backup QB, no matter how savvy he may be, is not an ideal situation.

Especially with the Texans still on the outside looking in, as far as the standings are currently concerned.

Published Dec 19, 2023

MATT GALATZAN

Matt Galatzan the Editor-In-Chief of TexansDaily.com. Galatzan graduated from the University of Mississippi, where he studied integrated marketing communications, with minors in journalism and business administration. Galatzan started in the sports journalism industry under Mike Fisher at DallasBasketball.com in 2014, which at the time was part of the 247Sports network. He also spent two years covering the SMU Mustangs for PonyStampede.com on the 247Sports network. When DallasBasketball.com and CowboysCountry.com moved over to Sports Illustrated's Fan Nation network in 2020, Galatzan followed suit, eventually being taking over as the Managing Editor and Publisher of LonghornsCountry.com and AllAggies.com a year later. Through the years, Galatzan has conducted a handful of high-profile one-on-one interviews to add to his resume — in both writing and podcasting. Some of his biggest interviews have been with Mavs owner Mark Cuban, former Longhorns players Dan Neil and Phil Dawson, and many other recruits, and current/former players for each of the teams he has covered. Galatzan is also a full-time employee in the digital media department for Audacy and KRLD FM's 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, which is the official radio home of the Dallas Cowboys. You can find Galatzan on all major social media channels. For any inquiries, please email matt.galatzan@gmail.com