Texans QB C.J. Stroud Exits Game vs. Broncos With Scary Injury

The Houston Texans saw their star quarterback C.J. Stroud go down with a scary-looking injury in the middle of their Week 9 matchup vs. the Denver Broncos.

At the top of the second quarter in Houston, Stroud would scramble out of the pocket to be tackled by Broncos cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine, where his head would take a hard hit to the turf.

#Texans QB CJ Stroud went down in a lot of pain. Was able to get up and walk off with the help of trainers: pic.twitter.com/3eMx8lEjAu
— Arye Pulli (@AryePulliNFL) November 2, 2025

Stroud took a few seconds to get up before trainers would evaluate him and help him off the field. He'd eventually head to the locker room to be placed in concussion protocol, where he could be in line to inevitably miss the remainder of the contest.

Before leaving the field, Stroud gave a thumbs-up to fans walking off.

A thumbs up to the crowd from #Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud as he walks into blue medical tent @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/A4jnxoTr2K
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) November 2, 2025

Upon leaving the game, backup quarterback Davis Mills would be seen warming up on the sidelines, who will now fill in as the lead signal caller for any stretch of time that Stroud misses. Rookie Graham Mertz is the Texans' emergency third quarterback.

A brutal blow for the Texans offense that comes early on into a huge Week 9 game against Denver.

Texans QB C.J. Stroud Leaves vs. Broncos With Head Injury

Nov 2, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) drops to throw during the first half against the Denver Broncos at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sean Thomas-Imagn Images | Sean Thomas-Imagn Images

With Stroud now being in the NFL's concussion protocol, it could place him in danger of missing Houston's Week 10 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Texans just got their star wideout Nico Collins back from a concussion after missing Week 8, and now, their star quarterback might be dealing with the same hurdle.

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Before going down with the injury, Stroud had completed six of his ten total passes for 79 yards, leading the Texans to an early 3-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Each of Houston and Denver had missed a pair of field goals in the first quarter of action, one being a Ka'imi Fairbarn miss, and the other being off a blocked Wil Lutz attempt by Denico Autry.

Until further notice, expect Mills to be the one leading the way for the Texans' offense.

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