Texans Veteran Calls C.J. Stroud One of NFL’s Best QBs

The Houston Texans are rallying behind their star signal-caller, C.J. Stroud, after their latest 40-20 win vs. the Arizona Cardinals, for what's now the team's sixth-straight win, and for Stroud, his third win in a row since re-entering the lineup from his three-week concussion absence.

Against the Cardinals, it was a performance that head coach DeMeco Ryans considers one of Stroud's best this season, completing 22 of 29 passes for 260 yards, throwing three total touchdowns throughout the day for his second game this season of logging three or more scores through the air.

That resounding confidence after Stroud's day was also felt by Texans veteran offensive lineman Tytus Howard, who felt that this win against the Cardinals proved Stroud to be one of the best at his position throughout the entire NFL.

“I know people give C.J. a lot of stuff, but C.J. one of the best quarterbacks in the league," Howard said after the Texans' win vs. Arizona, via Will Kunkel. "When we do what we supposed to do and give him time, I think he one of the best.”

Tytus Howard Sees C.J. Stroud Among Best QBs in NFL

A part of that success, for Howard, comes down to Stroud's calmness on any given Sunday— a trait that Davis Mills is often said to exemplify whenever he's on the field— but is seemingly shown within their starting signal-caller as well.

"He's cool, calm, collected. I know people say Davis [Mills] is really calm. But, C.J. is really calm in the game. Like, no matter if something bad happens, he's just very encouraging for the guys. Like, 'Hey, let's move on to the next play, I believe in you" type of guy. So, that's good as an offensive line, because we know that our quarterback has us 100%."

While Stroud has faced his ups and downs of this season, especially early on, he's improved every week he's been under center since returning from his extended concussion absence, and fueling this offense to much better results than they had seen through the first half of their campaign.

Dec 14, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) hugs Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett (7) following a game at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

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Against the Cardinals, that resulted in Stroud leading the Texans to their highest point total of the year thus far with a 40-point outing. He found Nico Collins in the end zone twice, put together a strong day for Dalton Schultz with eight catches for 76 yards and a touchdown, and most importantly, won number six in a row.

Those steps forward for Stroud can also be credited to the improved play of the offensive line in front of him. Now that Howard has held down the starting left guard role while Trent Brown mans the right tackle spot, things have been running smoothly for the Texans' protection, and in turn, have paid off in a big way by seeing their star quarterback increasingly begin to flourish because of it.

Time will tell if Stroud can maintain the hot hand heading into the next few weeks of the season and into a hopeful playoff run, but if he can, the respect is bound to come his way in due time, and for the Texans as a collective, the sky is the limit for what they can do once time for the postseason.

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