Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud came back down to earth last year in his second season, after an electric rookie campaign that saw him win AP offensive rookie of the year.
Stroud’s yards per game fell from 273.9 as a rookie to 219.2 in 2024 while throwing seven more interceptions. Stroud’s struggles played a role in why offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik was replaced by Nick Caley this offseason.
On Friday, Slowik talked about what he’s seen thus far from his young quarterback.
“Yeah, he’s locked in every step of the way. No concerns whatsoever,” Caley said, according to Pro Football Talk. “I know DeMeco [Ryans] has already hit on this. Everybody has a specific routine relative to their own routine, specific to whatever.
Whether it’s football, whether it’s athletic training, et cetera, and he’s doing a great job and he’s out here and he’s working.”
Caley also touched on Stroud being able to take more ownership of the offense entering his third season as a pro.
“The more you can do, the better off you’re going to end up being,” he said. “He wants to have the ability to be able to have control. When you’re at that position, there is a lot of great value in being able to fix problems that come up or unscouted looks that come up.
“It doesn’t happen overnight. That’s for sure. It’s repetition. It’s comfort with the offense. He’s working hard. He’s done a good job. We’ll just keep growing that.”
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.