After the season opening loss to the Baltimore Ravens, Houston Texans rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud sat at his locker, taking in all that had happened on the field. Stroud processes and analyzes football plays faster than most who play his position. His demeanor and body language told the story of what was going through his mind, and disappointment showed on his face.
One veteran player, whose locker was directly across from Stroud’s, started to notice what was going on and immediately offered words of encouragement to ensure the rookie that the Baltimore game was just one of many more to come.
Fourth-year defensive end Jonathan Greenard quickly told Stroud that he has the utmost confidence in him as long as he is at the quarterback position for the Texans.
Just that small gesture from a veteran on the team gave Stroud the self-assurance that he was meant to lead the Houston Texans back to relevance, a place they had not seen since 2019.
“You will never know he is the best rookie quarterback to ever play.,” Greenard said to the Texans Wire about Stroud. “You would never know these things because he is such a humble kid and a guy who just wants to play ball and make everyone else better.” pic.twitter.com/l6UiCIq0tH
— #SARGE (@BigSargeSportz) January 17, 2024
Fast forward four months later, and Stroud is headed right back to where he started his first regular season career game. But this time, he is coming in with a season’s worth of knowledge and experience as he prepares to face the Ravens for the second time this season in the AFC divisional game on Saturday at M&T Bank Stadium. Stroud also brings back the words of affirmation that Greenard gave him after the first game.
“I carry that a lot,” Stroud said during his weekly press conference. “Me and ‘J.G.’ [Jonathan Greenard] are constantly talking. He’s a heck of a leader, man. He’s a heck of a person and a great player. Just that moment right there, I haven’t lost a lot of games in my career, so that definitely wasn’t fun, and I was really upset about a lot of different things, so he was really good for me in that moment just to calm me down and just tell me, ‘Man, we can see these dudes again,’ and lo and behold, we do.
“So, just having vets and people who you can lean on in those types of moments it means everything because you know they have your back through thick and thin. So, I appreciate ‘J.G.’ and my whole team because they’re all really like that.”
A lot has transpired since that 25-9 season opener loss for Stroud and the Texans. He put up astronomical rookie numbers this season, passing for 4,108 yards with 23 touchdowns and five interceptions in 15 games. Houston won the AFC South for the first time since 2019 and hosted an NFL playoff game against the Cleveland Browns, who embarrassed the Texans 36-22 in their first meeting. Stroud missed that game as he recovered from a concussion that he suffered two weeks prior against the New York Jets.
Texans QB C.J. Stroud on teammate Jonathan Greenard’s words after the Ravens game
“I haven’t lost a lot of games in my career, so that definitely wasn’t fun, and I was really upset about a lot of different things, so he was really good for me in that moment just to calm me down.” pic.twitter.com/n7Jr5iEKz8— #SARGE (@BigSargeSportz) January 17, 2024
Stroud, 22, made sure that the Browns would not have a repeat performance against the Texans at NRG Stadium like they did in Week 16. His 274 yards passing and three touchdowns in the 45-14 blowout made him the youngest quarterback in NFL history to win a playoff game. He also tied the rookie record for most passing touchdowns in a playoff game (3) and became the first rookie in franchise history to throw for multiple touchdowns in a playoff game.
“He has been that guy to keep that light going for us,” said Greenard to the Texans Wire when asked about the growth of Stroud since the first game of the season. “Everybody else continues to rally around him and pick him up as much as possible because we understand what he can do when he has the ball in his hands.
“On the defensive side, we are always talking about getting him more opportunities and getting seven [Stroud’s jersey number] the ball. That offense, once they can make some things happen. So, all we do is try to make sure we instill confidence in him. He instills confidence in us. Once he gives us that nod back once we are all looking at each other, that makes us all feel good because our leader and our guy can go out and change the game is riding with us and we are definitely going to ride for him.”
Greenard, who leads the team in sacks with 12.5, knew that Stroud was a special person from the moment the Texans drafted him with the second overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft. Going up against him in training camp, Greenard knew that Stroud had the talent to lead this team to exactly where they are right now.
“I would say that I am surprised, but I am not, but I am just because to this capacity we are seeing him put up historical numbers that no one has ever seen before,” Greenard said. “I have been blessed to play with great quarterbacks. In college when I played with Lamar (Jackson), you would never know he had all the accolades he had with the type of player he is and the type of person he is.
“Same with seven (Stroud). You will never know he is the best rookie quarterback to ever play. You would never know these things because he is such a humble kid and a guy who just wants to play ball and make everyone else better.”
