Former NFL QB Poses Interesting Theory on Texans' C.J. Stroud's Health

Is it time to be concerned about Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud? The former No. 2 overall pick has not yet thrown in the Texans' offseason program due to "general soreness," and head coach DeMeco Ryans is insisting that everything is fine.

However, during a recent episode PFT Live former NFL quarterback Chris Simms posed an intriguing theory to co-host Mike Florio on what could be going on with Stroud, and it is a bit worrisome.

"This has all the signs to me, Mike, of tendonitis, general soreness. This to me has all the signs of, 'I got back, we got back training. I started throwing, maybe I threw a little too much at first, and now the inside of my elbow hurts,'" Simms said.

Obviously, there is plenty of time for Stroud to heal between now and Week 1, but you never want to hear that your starting quarterback is experiencing arm issues.

"Because of that hinging and all of this as a thrower, if you're not in shape for that or don't approach it the right way, when you get back into it after a long period of time, that's when that can flare up," Simms added. "This to me, has all the signs of that type of thing. Elbow, shoulder. I would bet it's more elbow than not, but we'll see where it goes. This sounds like one of those where, yeah, he probably overdid it at first and now he's paying for it."

Stroud played in every game last season, throwing for 3,727 yards, 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while completing 63.2 percent of his passes and posting a passer rating of 87. It was quite a step back for the 23-year-old after a brilliant rookie campaign, but perhaps it can merely be chalked up to a sophomore slump.

It should also be noted that Stroud had very limited protection in 2024, as he was sacked 52 times. The Texans tried to patch up their offensive line this offseason, but after trading away perennial Pro Bowl tackle Laremy Tunsil, it may still be an issue next fall.

Hopefully, Stroud is able to stay healthy and rebound, but like Simms said, we will see.

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