Denzel Perryman enters the 2023 season as one of the Houston Texans’ most highly-anticipated free agent additions and should play a leadership role in the team’s talented but unproven defense.
As such, Perryman made a calculated decision in signing with Houston, which is in the midst of a full-on rebuild after drafting quarterback C.J. Stroud with the second-overall pick.
Whatever disadvantage the Texans might face in having a young quarterback, Perryman isn’t concerned about the team’s offensive leadership after observing Stroud at offseason practices. He told reporters about the qualities he has seen in the rookie signal caller after mandatory minicamp June 14, making it clear that Stroud has the whole team at his back.
“He’s a competitor, man,” Perryman said. “He may talk a little trash here and there, but he doesn’t do that in the locker room. But on the field, he carries himself like a pro, and he has guys pushing behind him.”
If Stroud is already passing the smell test from a seasoned veteran like Perryman, one can only assume that he is winning over the Texans locker room with each passing workout. If he can continue on that course through training camp and the preseason, the bonds made with the more experienced crowd on Houston’s roster are sure to pay off in a major way during the 17-game schedule they’ll begin in September.
