C.J. Stroud Opens Up on Injury, Recovery, and Facing the Colts | Full Week 13 Presser

C.J. Stroud Opens Up on Injury, Recovery, and Facing the Colts | Full Week 13 Presser

How was Thanksgiving? It was good. How was yours? Good. CJ, to officially put the protocol to get back on the field. What’s this mean to you? What did you go through some of the things that you experienced with concussion? Uh, yeah. I’m excited to be back. Blessed, man. Super grateful, you know, to, you know, be able to be healthy again and, you know, have have some um some peace, you know, knowing that my my body and my brain and my my thoughts feel, you know, pure and clean. So, it’s a blessing. And yeah, I mean, I just, you know, took it one day at a time. Um, it was it was kind of eye opening, you know, to kind of get a bird’s eye view, which I haven’t had in a long time. So, um, you know, I just am grateful for, you know, all the prayers. Um, just want to say, you know, to the Broncos defense, you know, a lot some of them I heard them praying for me. I really appreciate that like Huanga, you know, and, uh, Singleton and some of those guys, you know, so I really appreciate them doing that. Of course, my teammates and our fan bases. So everybody’s prayers and just, you know, thoughts really I appreciated that. Um, but yeah, it it wasn’t fun. You know, I wanted to play really bad. I wanted to be back out there, but, you know, I thought, you know, we put ourselves in a great position. Thought Davis did great. You know, he he bowled out, you know, three games in a row and put us in position to win. So, um, really proud of him and everything he’s done. He’s been a great teammate, great brother of mine. So, um, yeah, I’m just really grateful, you know, to be back finally. I know injuries are are part of the game and you, you know, you know the risk, but is an injury like this frightening for you? Was it was it scary? No, that’s part of the game I’ve been I kind of had. It was kind of the same thing I had in 23 uh against the Jets. Literally the same situation at the back of my head and had a concussion. Um and so yeah, just I think of course having like a short week too, you know, cuz I played that one. I only missed two games and then I, you know, played that that game in week 17 against the Titans and so I think if we would play the Bills on Sunday, I would have been able to go. But, you know, since it was a short week, wasn’t able to practice, you know. Um, I thought, you know, we made the right call, our doctors and stuff on just, you know, holding me out. But, um, yeah, it’s I’m I’m not worried. I’m covered in the blood. I’m going to continue to be confident and, you know, trust my my talents and and my gifts and, you know, try to, you know, do it for the glory of God. You talked about your from your purview being on the sideline. Of course, you’d much rather be playing. Anything that you can think of that you take away from watching these past few weeks? Yeah, I just see how great our defense is, you know, and if we can just, you know, find a way to score in the red zone and, you know, find points, I think, you know, we can go as far as we want because, you know, we have a really, really strong, talented defense. And it was really good to see and for me, you know, to see from a bird’s eye. Um, and that’s been the case, you know, but it’s it’s a little different when you just get to sit there and watch and be like, dang, other quarterbacks got to go through this. Like, I got to, you know, when I get back, I got to make sure I make plays and put these guys in position to win and, you know, reward them for stops and then turnovers, you know. So, um, I think that’s huge. Our special teams, you know, playing well and then, you know, offensively, you know, I thought we did really solid, but I I think we can take another step as well. How will you be able to flush out, you know, that that hit? You were using your legs. You were getting out of the pocket. How do you push those, you know, those cobwebs or those thoughts to the back of your mind and still be able to, you know, get out of the pocket without thinking about taking another hit like that? Just play. Yeah. I mean, I think when you think about getting hurt, you think about, you know, bad things when bad things happen. So, I’m going just play free, you know, and try my best to trust my instincts and, you know, do what I can and, you know, of course, stay healthy, but I want to put my team in position to win. So, I’m going to do that and, you know, whatever happens happens. But, you know, I’ve I’ve trust that I play this game the right way and, you know, I know when to slide, when not to, or, you know, um, try to do my best to protect myself as well. Um, but, so I’m not going to second guess that and just try to go, you know, and play fast and have fun. anything you were able to pick up from watching Davis and how the Kay’s uh calling it as things that may benefit you on Sunday? Uh I mean yeah I got to hear Kels and like his process a little bit more which is helpful. So um yeah I’m you know I think as the season goes on you know we get on one accord more and more and more so it was helpful in that area as well. Started 0 and three but now you guys are right in the thick of the division race right in the thick of the wild card race. Um, how always were cool, but what was it like watching your team be able to rally, you know, obviously missed a couple games, but watching them rally and put you guys in position to now where now you guys are more healthier, ready to kind of get ready for the stretch run. Yeah, I think it’s amazing. You know, I think, you know, at the right time, you know, um, you know, you see guys step up and, you know, start to, you know, take more on the plate and, you know, rise to vacation. So, I think it’s dope. And um of course we didn’t start off the best. But I think when you you know know what type of team we have. We’re very talented and we’re a couple plays away each game, you know, winning and then of course you’re also a couple plays away from losing. So I think the better we finish, you know, then the better results we have. So um that kind of was something that stuck out to me as well. When you have to be away from your team for injuries like this, what do you miss most? My teammates. Yeah, my teammates being in the building. Um just laughing, smiling, cracking jokes, being at practice. Um, you know, I think that’s probably the most is is I just miss my teammates being in the room and with Davis and Graham and Jerry and Grod. Um, so that’s that’s probably the suckiest part. Um, CJ, uh, when you were on the sideline watching the rookies, how much did you see them grow up as far as with with Higgins and with especially with Woody with the way that he’s excelled with this with more playing time? Yeah, they’re they’re all very mature and I think they approach it the right way and I think, you know, the more time on task and time in the game, I think they’ve been able, you know, to have some confidence. You can you can see how they play. You know, they’re dancing, having fun, and, you know, uh running great routes. Woody’s toing the rock, protecting the ball. Um, so you just see their confidence, you know, I think that’s that’s really what this league is about. Um, I think, you know, the more confident you are, the more that you can, you know, make plays for your teammates and, you know, go out there and execute your job. So, I just see that, you know, them doing that each play. And it was cool to see Jay Reed out there, you know, last game. I thought he made a lot of great plays and somebody who I played against in college who I thought was really good. So, cool to see him out there and hopefully he get some more opportunities. Um, but yeah, I think our rookie classes, you know, they’re very mature and they want to play and they want to, you know, do the right things and think it takes time, but to see them, you know, have early success is amazing. Is there any follow kind of a follow up to what Serge said, the offensive line, you know, last continues to gel and get better. That has to be also promising to see. Yeah, it’s cool, you know, to see, you know, um just big train out there. Ed coming back, Jake, you know, always playing solid and you know, Titus being you know, uh being an anchor, man, you know, playing a lot of positions and doing them all very well, you know, and then Tay, you know, another rookie who is a rise to the occasion and, you know, done a really good job these last couple weeks. So, just proud of that unit and, you know, I’m excited to be back with them. Is there any extra excitement added to the comeback being in Indian in Indianapolis and such a big game division opponent place where you’ve had some success? Uh yeah, I mean I always love, you know, playing in Indie and against Coast, great environment, you know, great fan base. You know, they they’ve always been a really good team, really good defense. Um so it’s going to be it’s going to be cracking, man. They’re they’re going to be playing hard. We’re going to be playing hard. So yeah, it’s very exciting, you know, division opponent. Um you know, like I said, a great atmosphere. So, I’m very excited and, you know, um really cool that I get to come back this game. Um obviously, right before you got hurt, you’re playing some of your best football this season. Um how do you kind of pick up kind of where you left off um once you get back out there on S on Sunday? Yeah, I think just, you know, uh doing the little things right, um take care of the football, getting out my hand, going through my progressions, my reads, being clean in the communication in the huddle. Um and you know just trusting myself, trusting my instincts, being confident and you know just you know um trusting my god-given talent and you know go from there. So um I thought you know I was playing decent you know coming out you know out of that Seattle game. I thought I played you know a good game against San Fran and then the Broncos I thought I had a good first quarter but you know sucks that that happened but um I think you know I’ll be able to you know kind of catch my mojo back but you don’t know when. Hopefully it’s the first play of the game but whatever it is I’m going just keep fighting and try to find my rhythm. Thank you guys. Thanks CJ. is open.

Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud speaks openly about the concussion that sidelined him, the frustration of missing games, and the gratitude he felt from teammates, opponents, and fans who prayed for his recovery.

Stroud shares what he saw from the defense, how the offense can improve in the red zone, and why he is confident heading into a huge matchup with the Colts. He also reacts to rookie breakouts from Jayden Higgins, Woody Marks, and Jalen Reed.

Watch the full C.J. Stroud presser as Houston prepares for a massive AFC South showdown.
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