Texans' C.J. Stroud Responds to Critics After Bumpy Week 1

The Houston Texans started off the 2025 NFL season facing a bit of turbulence right out of the gates.

The Texans were one of three teams in the league to not score a touchdown in Week 1 vs. the LA Rams. They dealt with multiple issues and injuries on their offensive line, and paired with a big day from star wide receiver Puka Nacua on the other end, it led to Houston heading back for their home opener 0-1 on the year.

But even with the up-and-down start and early criticism coming the Texans' way to start the year and across the offseason, C.J. Stroud clearly isn't concerned with any of the outside noise heading into Week 2–– something he addressed during Thursday's media availability after practice.

"I don't care, to be honest," Stroud said of criticism surrounding him. "I've gotten so used to people loving you when you're up, hating on you when you're down. It's just how the entertainment business operates. So, I try to see my value as what God sees me as, my family, my friends, my teammates, that helps me stay level-headed."

Stroud isn't immune to the chatter that may surround him; he is human after all. But now entering his third year in the NFL, the Texans quarterback has witnessed both the peaks and the valleys of what the NFL has to offer. He's also taken note of how reactions can tend to sway when things are going both good and bad.

"I think it's a lie when people say words don't hurt," Stroud said on Thursday. "Words do have effects. So for me, I try not to look at it... I've learned to not love the love and not hate the hate, and it's really helped me."

"At the end of the day, everybody's entitled to their opinion, but I can control what I control, and that's what I do on the field, and everybody is entitled to what they think."

Sep 7, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) looks for a reciever during the third quarter at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Stroud's first game in Los Angeles for his third year at the helm didn't quite go as ideally as he'd like. He finished completing 19/26 passes for 188 yards with one interception, and was ultimately bested by Matthew Stafford and a challenging Rams offense.

But Stroud can also see value in getting a reality check early against a tough squad like the Rams, or in his words from Sunday's post-game presser, a "wake-up call" for this Texans roster that has a ton of potential.

"It's a lot better to get punched in the mouth early and not fall, and not be too hurt," said Stroud. "Like, what are we going to do, sit around here and cry about it? It's the NFL. It's part of the game. We played really bad and we still had a chance to win. That shows our team how talented we are and how good we can be."

"I've been in this position a bunch, where everybody thinks you suck, and whatever they want to think. Cool, you all go ahead and do that. We're going to continue to grind. If we lay an egg again. We're going to get back up, we're going to trust each other. It doesn't really matter what everybody else thinks."

Stroud and the Texans will have an opportunity to get things back to form and, in turn, quiet the noise during primetime Monday Night Football in another tough test vs. the 1-0 Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

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