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C.J. Stroud Suffers Concussion Due to Huge Hit During Texans-Broncos

Liam McKeone

Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud had to leave the game after taking a huge hit against the Broncos on Sunday.
Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud had to leave the game after taking a huge hit against the Broncos on Sunday. / NFL on Fox
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The Texans got off to a real rough start this season, going 0-3 to kick off the 2025 campaign. But things have improved dramatically in the last month. Houston has won three of its last four games and entered a Week 9 matchup with the Broncos riding plenty of momentum following a big Week 8 win over the 49ers.

Unfortunately, it didn’t take long for a concerning development to arise. Both teams struggled to score to begin the game, with the Texans holding a 3-0 lead in the second quarter when C.J. Stroud’s offense found itself facing a third-and-8 in their own territory. Stroud dropped back to pass and wound up scrambling out of the pocket trying to get the first down. He had some open space, but as he approached the marker several Broncos defenders converged on the quarterback and he awkwardly tried to slide at the last second.

It led to a massive hit on the young quarterback, with Broncos corner Kris Abrams-Draine drilling Stroud just as he began his slide, bouncing his head hard off the turf. He stayed down after the play and had to be helped off the field to the medical tent.

Stroud did give a thumbs up to the crowd, which is encouraging for the Texans fans at NRG Stadium. The Texans would later announce that he was questionable to return while being evaluated for a concussion. He was downgraded to out with a concussion several minutes later.

Following the game, the C.J. Stroud Foundation shared a photo of the quarterback with the caption, “C.J. is O.K., thank you for the prayers.”

Like the rest of his team Stroud struggled to start the year but has turned it around. The 24-year-old signal-caller has thrown for 1,623 yards so far with 11 touchdowns to only five interceptions. The Texans’ offense remains very much a work in progress, yet Stroud’s play of late has helped the unit make serious progress.

Stroud was replaced by backup Davis Mills. Mills was a third-round pick in the 2021 NFL draft and has spent his whole career with Houston to this point. In 26 starts under Mills the Texans are 5-19-1.

The Texans lost 18–15 to the Broncos to drop to 3–5 on the season.

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Liam McKeone
LIAM MCKEONE

Liam McKeone is a senior writer for the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He has been in the industry as a content creator since 2017, and prior to joining SI in May 2024, McKeone worked for NBC Sports Boston and The Big Lead. In addition to his work as a writer, he has hosted the Press Pass Podcast covering sports media and The Big Stream covering pop culture. A graduate of Fordham University, he is always up for a good debate and enjoys loudly arguing about sports, rap music, books and video games. McKeone has been a member of the National Sports Media Association since 2020.

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