Texans QB C.J. Stroud (concussion) won't play vs. the Jaguars this weekend, HC Demeco Ryans said. Stroud didn't practice on Wednesday as he works through the protocol. He should have a good chance to make it back for Week 11, but it'll be QB Davis Mills under center for Houston against the Jaguars on Sunday. Mills completed just 57% of his passes at 4.6 yards per attempt in relief of Stroud last week, although that came against a tough Broncos defense. He was better in 26 starts across 2021 and 2022, posting a 63.6% completion rate and 6.6 yards per attempt. Mills is certainly a downgrade for the Texans offense, but at least WR Nico Collins should remain in fantasy lineups against a bad Jaguars secondary.

Texans QB C.J. Stroud suffered an apparent concussion in the second quarter of Sunday's game vs. the Broncos. He took a big hit on a scramble and slammed his head against the turf. We'll update his status when we know more, but don't expect to see Stroud again today. QB Davis Mills is Houston's backup.

Update: Stroud has been ruled out with a concussion.

If you started Texans QB C.J. Stroud in Sunday's win over the 49ers, then he rewarded you with his second-best fantasy outing of the season -- despite missing lead WR Nico Collins. Stroud threw for 318 yards, 2 TDs, and 1 INT on 30-of-39 passing. That not only reset his season high for passing yardage by 71; it was also his first 300-yard game since Week 4 of last season and just his second since November 2023. The game also produced Stroud's third 100+ passer rating among Houston's past four games, which tells us something about both sides of Sunday's matchup.

Texans QB C.J. Stroud seemed like he was rebounding heading into his team's Week 6 bye. After averaging just 199.7 passing yards -- with 2 TDs and 3 INTs -- over the first three games, he posted consecutive positive outings against the Titans and Ravens. But Stroud's post-bye performance at Seattle looked more like the early version. He completed a season-low 47% of his passes at a season-low 4.7 yards per attempt, throwing for 229 yards, 1 TD, and 1 INT on a season-high (by a lot) 49 pass attempts.

Texans QB C.J. Stroud dominated the Ravens' injured defense, completing 23 of 27 passes for 244 yards and 4 TDs. Stroud also had a 30 yard run which provided another nice boost to his fantasy total. WR Nico Collins went 4-52-1 while Xavier Hutchinson caught two TDs.

The Texans’ O-line “remains a big question mark” entering training camp, per Mike Jones of The Athletic.

Texans QB C.J. Stroud has not been throwing at practice this week because of a shoulder problem. Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 in Houston reports that it's a "minor shoulder muscle issue" that "isn't regarded as a long-term issue."

The Jaguars are trading WR Christian Kirk to the Texans for a seventh-round pick in 2026, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. The compensation's obviously low because the Jags had already made it known they planned to release Kirk. By giving up a late pick in next year's draft, Houston gets the final year of Kirk's existing contract (at $16.5 million) instead of having to compete for him on the open market.

The Texans hired Nick Caley as their new OC, replacing Bobby Slowik. Caley spent the past two seasons working under Sean McVay in Los Angeles, holding the title of TEs coach in 2023 and passing game coordinator last year. He was with the Patriots from 2015 through 2022. Those first seven offenses were led by OC Josh McDaniels. We'll see what Caley picked up from McVay and McDaniels, but this will be his first time calling plays at any level. Priority No. 1 will be helping QB C.J. Stroud rebound from a disappointing sophomore season. Houston also has work to do on its offensive line and WR corps, with Stefon Diggs a free agent and Tank Dell likely to miss most or all of the 2025 season.

The Texans fired OC Bobby Slowik, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports. It's a big fall for Slowik, who was mentioned as a potential HC candidate just a year ago. He helped QB C.J. Stroud to an impressive 2023 rookie season, with Houston finishing 12th in total yards and 13th in points. But Stroud and the Texans offense took a step back this past year, ranking 22nd in yards and 19th in points. Slowik took some heat for a high early-down run rate, but the Texans finished 10th in neutral pass rate and fifth in pass rate over expected. To our eyes, the biggest issue in Houston was an offensive line that ranked 31st in ESPN's run block win rate and 22nd in pass block win rate. We'll see what the Texans do to bolster that unit this offseason -- and who they tab to replace Slowik.

Texans HC Demeco Ryans was vague when asked whether he'll play starters in Sunday's finale vs. the Titans. Houston is locked into the AFC's No. 4 seed. "Everybody has to be ready to go," Ryans said of Week 18. "Everybody will be out there playing and we'll see how the game goes. But, for us right now, we gotta go play better." The Texans could certainly use some positive momentum heading into the playoffs coming off two straight losses, including a 31-2 shellacking at the hands of the Ravens on Christmas. So it'd make sense for the regulars to play at least a few series. But we'd be surprised if guys like QB C.J. Stroud, RB Joe Mixon, and WR Nico Collins played the entire game.