The Houston Texans may have drafted C.J. Stroud to solve their quarterback woes, but it does not mean the No. 2 overall pick is taking his teammates for granted.
Houston still has third-year quarterback Davis Mills on the roster and also brought back Case Keenum for his third tour of duty. Even though the plan is for Stroud to beat the two journeymen signal callers outright and earn the starting job, the Ohio State product is not discounting their contributions to the team.
“It’s a blessing,” Stroud said after organized team activities on Tuesday. “It’s being something that I definitely knew that I needed it. Just that guidance and confidence that they’ve had.”
For Mills, the confidence comes after playing 28 games for the Texans since being selected as a third-rounder in 2021. The Stanford product started 26 games and compiled a 5-19-1 mark over the past two seasons.
Keenum has fluctuated between backup and starter throughout his career. The most notable season for Keenum was in 2017 when he started 14 games for the Minnesota Vikings, leading them to an NFC North title and a first-round bye. The former Houston Cougar pulled off the Minneapolis Miracle against the New Orleans Saints at U.S. Bank Stadium and had the Vikings in the NFC Championship Game.
Said Stroud: “They both played in the league as starters. They’ve been very helpful and have been very appreciative and very supportive of everything. We have constant communication on and off the field, so it’s been really great.”
A strong quarterback room led by quarterbacks coach Jerrod Johnson, also a former NFL quarterback, is what the Texans need as they get Stroud ready to assume the position.
