Why Texans QB C.J. Stroud Didn’t Go to Pro Bowl

Leading up to this year's Pro Bowl events, the pool of quarterbacks representing the AFC roster came down to an interesting select six names–– three initial selections and three alternates–– and one that didn't include Houston Texans signal caller C.J. Stroud.

Drake Maye, Josh Allen, and Trevor Lawrence would be the first three names selected before ultimately being swapped out for the trio of Joe Burrow, Joe Flacco, and Shedeur Sanders as the three representatives to take part under center for this week's Pro Bowl Games.

However, not seeing Stroud, or a few other bigger names at quarterback, take part in the action certainly caught some notable attention, and further questions as to why the Texans' own wasn't selected to participate.

According to KPRC2's Aaron Wilson, Stroud was actually sent a Pro Bowl invitation, but would wind up declining in an effort to concentrate on his preparation for next season.

C.J. Stroud Declined Pro Bowl Invitation

Feb 1, 2024; Orlando, FL, USA; Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) participates in the NFL Pro Bowl Skills Competition at the UCF NIcholson Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Stroud has been a part of the Pro Bowl action before–– having accepted an invitation following his breakout rookie season to represent the AFC in his first year back in 2023, joining three other Texans in the process.

But this time, it appears Stroud has a different mindset, and that centers around getting a head start for next season's preparation, which could very well be the most pivotal campaign of his career on the horizon in 2026.

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Stroud is fresh off his brutal four-interception playoff outing against the New England Patriots in the divisional round that sunk the Texans' Super Bowl hopes in a 16-28 loss on the road, and now takes both Houston and their franchise signal-caller back to the drawing board in an effort to make the necessary tweaks ahead of next season.

With that in mind, that effort for improvement begins with an early head start to the offseason––one where the Texans quarterback will have a chance at a new extension from Houston's front office. And if not, he'll be using his extra time this summer to make the right adjustments in hopes of getting that payday, paired with better success come time for the postseason.

That means for the Pro Bowl, it was a bit of a smaller priority to keep in his center-focus, leading to Stroud turning down a chance at a second selection on his resume to join six other Texans stars, and thus has the AFC North trio in the mix instead.

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