CJ Stroud on Aireontae Ersery:

“Tae has one of the best mindsets I’ve seen from a rookie.. he text me the night he got drafted.. he was like ‘ima die on the oline for you, ima die out there’.” 🐶🐶 pic.twitter.com/Z8T393L5MK

— Houston Stressans (@TexansCommenter) August 16, 2025

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud might have been the star of a 20-3 victory over the Carolina Panthers, but he wasn’t the talking point in pressers following the game.

Stroud, who completed 6 of 8 pass attempts for 44 yards, capped off with a 6-yard touchdown pass to Nico Collins, made sure to thank his offensive line for quality protection during the afternoon. In 25 snaps, the unit allowed just one pressure and zero sacks, culminating in a scoring drive before the end of the first quarter.

While there are five players, Stroud made sure to credit rookie offensive tackle Aireontae Ersery for his work ethic on learning two positions at the same time throughout camp. The second-round pick was expected to be the starting right tackle, but after Cam Robinson suffered an injury at The Greenbrier, a shift back to left tackle was necessary.

His attitude and adaptability caught Stroud’s attention in camp, but his detail of improving has helped improve the team’s overall chemistry.

“Tae has one of the best mindsets I’ve seen from a rookie in my couple years in the league. He texted me the night he got drafted. I texted him and I was like, ‘Hey, excited to have you on the team,’ and he said ‘I’m going to die on the O-line for you,” Stroud said Saturday. “I’m going to die out there.’ I was like, ‘all right. I appreciate you saying that.’ That’s just his mindset. He wants to be great.”

A former Big Ten offensive lineman of the year, Ersery has the right mindset to help transform Houston’s offensive line for the better, which needs change after Stroud was sacked 52 times in the 2024 season. One benefactor for Ersery’s growth are his first-team reps in practice.

Most rookies aren’t going up against two All-Pro talents in Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr. daily. In practice, it looks like a loss because of how developed the two defensive ends are, but Stroud views it as a win in live games.

“When he faces other guys, it’s kind of easy, but he still keeps up the same tenacity and that same work ethic,” Stroud said. “Very mature guy, loves football, loves his teammates, and I think he’s going to be great in this league.”

The Texans hit the road on Wednesday for a joint practice with the Detroit Lions ahead of Saturday’s preseason finale.