The Houston Texans finally got a glimpse of their prized rookie on the field.
Head Coach DeMeco Ryan sent C.J. Stroud out there for a couple of drives in their preseason debut vs. the New England Patriots.
The Ohio State standout didn’t perform as well as expected, completing just two of four passes for 13 yards to go along with a couple of carries for six yards and one sack.
The lowest point of the night was a very avoidable interception, but the preseason is the perfect time to make mistakes.
Notably, Stroud’s confidence or mood wasn’t affected by his bad performance whatsoever.
If anything, he just said it felt good to get back on the field and get hit again, adding that it helped him get back in the groove again:
“Kind of a crazy opportunity to be able to go out, my first NFL stadium, my first NFL game, and just a lot of things that I’ve been through to just get to that moment,” Stroud said, per NFL.com. “It was just special. Of course just wish I didn’t make one mistake on one certain play, but other than that, I thought I played solid.
“Felt good to get hit again and just get back in the groove. I just think that’s what preseason is for.”
Texans QB C.J. Stroud on preseason debut: "Felt good to get hit again and just get back in the groove"https://t.co/Rfhk1MIVTz pic.twitter.com/i2ULZhuA9n
— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) August 11, 2023
Stroud is one of the best quarterback prospects to enter the league in quite a while, so the fans shouldn’t get too carried away after just a couple of bad drives.
The interception made him look terrible, but every single rookie quarterback goes through growing pains, and there’s no better time to mess up than when it doesn’t count.
It’s nice to see that Stroud’s confidence remains untouched and that he talked about his desire to get back on the field, as a string of bad performances in the preseason could get into some players’ heads.
Still, the Texans need to address their offensive line issues as soon as possible, or their prized rookie will be running for his life trying to avoid injury from the very first snap of the season.
NEXT: Texans HC Reacts To Rookie WR's Impressive Preseason Game
