Houston Texans rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud will miss a second consecutive game due to a concussion after the team ruled him out for Sunday’s contest against the visiting Cleveland Browns.
Stroud was held out of last week’s 19-16 overtime win against the Tennessee Titans and replaced in the lineup by Case Keenum.
Pro Football Talk reported on Wednesday that Stroud has shown concussion symptoms since Week 13 against the Denver Broncos. He officially was diagnosed with a concussion the following week in a road game loss to the New York Jets. Defensive tackle Quinnen Williams blasted Stroud on a pass play with 6:24 to play in the game and the rookie quarterback’s head hit and bounced off the turf.
Stroud, the No. 2 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, was second in the NFL in passing yards (3,631) and had the fifth-best passer rating (98.7) in the league at the time of his injury in Week 14.
Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. (ankle) and linebacker Blake Cashman (hamstring) also were ruled out of Sunday’s game. Wide receiver Nico Collins (calf), linebacker Denzel Perryman (Achilles) and defensive tackle Maliek Collins (hip) were limited in practice for the third straight day and listed as questionable for Houston, which is one game behind the Browns (9-5) in a crowded wild-card playoff picture in the AFC.
The Texans (8-6) hope to avoid the wild-card quagmire by winning the AFC South division, where they are one of three teams with the same record. Indianapolis and Jacksonville also have eight wins, and the Texans play at Indianapolis in the regular-season finale.
