Walking into the Houston Texans locker room on Friday, you could sense a different feel and vibe as the team finished packing their travel bags for their divisional game against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.
Could the exuberance stem from the Texans’ current three-game winning streak, which has kept their playoff hopes alive?
Is it because their defense has been one of the best in the NFL this season, and they want to show fans who missed their primetime dominance of Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, the reigning NFL MVP, what they can do against the league’s top offense?
While all of those things can be true, that is not what had the locker room on fire. It was the return of quarterback C.J. Stroud to the starting lineup, as announced by head coach DeMeco Ryans.
“It feels good to have C.J. back out there,” said Texans offensive lineman Aireontae Ersery exclusively to Big Sarge Media. “I know he has missed us and we have missed him. We are back on and popping.”
Stroud sustained a concussion in the first half against the Denver Broncos in Week 9 when his head hit the turf hard. He stayed down for a few minutes before going to the blue medical tent and then to the locker room, where he was ruled out for the second half.
He missed the next three games while undergoing concussion protocol, with the last game being a precautionary measure, as the Texans had a short week to prepare for the Bills on Thursday night after beating the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.
If Houston had had a whole week of practice, he would have cleared and missed only two games, as he did in 2023 after suffering his first concussion against the New York Jets, according to a source.
“I’m happy,” said Texans second-year defensive back Kamari Lassiter exclusively to Big Sarge Media about Stroud’s return. “C.J., that’s my dawg. I am super happy that he is back healthy, he is back right. I know he is super excited to go back and play. We have been missing him. Obviously (Backup Quarterback) Davis [Mills] did his thing, but it is nothing like having C.J. out there. Just having him go out there and lead the team and do what he does, I can’t wait to see it.”
Now, the Texans (6-5) must prepare to go to Indianapolis and face one of the hottest teams in the NFL, the Colts, who currently sit atop the AFC South with an 8-3 record. But history suggests they are getting their franchise quarterback back from injury at the perfect time, especially given his past success at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Stroud, the second overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, is 3-1 against Indianapolis with a 69.7 percent completion rate, 1,167 yards passing, seven touchdowns, and no interceptions. In last season’s Week 18 “Winner Take All” game with a playoff spot at stake, Stroud finished with 264 yards passing and two touchdowns.
“Utmost respect for (C.J.) Stroud,” said Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo to reporters this week. “I think the guy’s a super, super talented guy. Can really throw it. He is a problem when he gets out of the pocket because he can still keep you off balance and throw on the run as good as anybody.
“So, we got our hands full. I’m sure he’ll just slide right back into what he was doing and how he was playing. We have the utmost respect for their coaches and how they go about the game. So, we’ve got our hands full on Sunday.”