CJ Stroud’s night against the Denver Broncos ended with a scare that silenced NRG Stadium on Sunday. Midway through the second quarter of Houston’s 18-15 loss, the Texans quarterback took off on a scramble and began to slide, only for the back of his helmet to slam violently into the turf after contact from Broncos cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine’s shoulder.
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Immediately after the contact, the 23-year-old stayed down for several moments as the medical staff rushed in. He then gingerly walked off the field and headed straight to the locker room. Minutes later, the team confirmed what many fans had feared: Stroud had suffered a concussion and would not return for the night.
He had completed 6 of 10 passes for 79 yards before exiting, while backup Davis Mills finished 17 of 30 for 137 yards for the rest of the contest, as the Texans failed to score a touchdown for just the second time all season. They were forced to punt on six straight possessions after the backup couldn’t move the ball.
Hours after the game, however, Stroud’s foundation offered a sigh of relief. In an Instagram Story posted by the CJ Stroud Foundation, a smiling Stroud appeared alongside his mother, Kimberly, with a caption that read: “CJ is OK. Thank you for your prayers.”
From #Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud’s foundation, mom Kimberly Stroud after his concussion today @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/NrQ50UJfus
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) November 2, 2025
This brief post was perhaps the only update Texans fans needed after the distressing sequence. Still, the aftermath of the hit sparked heated debate over how it was officiated.
For those out of context, the play on Stroud initially drew a flag for unnecessary roughness. But after review, officials overturned the call, ruling that Abrams-Draine had not made contact with Stroud’s head or neck. That decision didn’t sit well with the Texans, who believed their quarterback was clearly giving himself up on the slide.
“He slid and the guy came up and hit him, and as I see it, that’s unnecessary roughness… He hit the quarterback when he was sliding and giving himself up. If I’m incorrect on the rules, I’ve seen that happen multiple times with our guys and we get the penalty — but for some reason, it just didn’t happen there,” HC DeMeco Ryans said postgame.
Star edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. was even more blunt. “Man, it was very unfortunate. I think it was a BS call… We talk about protecting quarterbacks. CJ is a big name in this league. He’s a quarterback that a lot of people love and watch. We love him in here,” he said.
Linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, who last year was ejected and suspended for a similar hit, called the officiating “shocking” and “inconsistent.”
As things stand, the Texans, now 3-5, will monitor their franchise quarterback under the NFL’s concussion protocol before next week’s matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars. But until then, the good news remains that CJ Stroud is fine.
