Houston Texans fans know that there are going to be plenty of growing pains for rookie quarterback CJ Stroud this year, but they also know how important it is for him to rack up NFL experience. His shoulder injury could potentially jeopardize that if not handled properly.
But fear not, much like many hurlers, Stroud is on an arm management plan that will hopefully diminish the discomfort he feels when Houston hosts the Jacksonville Jaguars this Sunday afternoon.
“I think it's always like {that} any time you have a starting quarterback that's going to play all year, you always have an arm management program and it's kind of what best fits the individual, you know?” first-year offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik said, per Texans.com's Deepi Sidhu. “It may be some days he's limited on throws, it may be some days he's not limited on throws, but he's limited on other stuff that's not team-period related.”
Stroud was a late addition to the injury report last week but played through the pain against the Indianapolis Colts in the team's home opener. Despite a slow start, the No. 2 overall pick finished strong with 384 passing yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. Stroud says he is now nearly at 100 percent.
The 21-year-old logged a limited practice Thursday, true to this particular management plan, and will hopefully be at full strength for the Week 3 AFC South clash. A healthy CJ Stroud should not be discounted, as he is already making great strides in the early stages of his career.
The Texans (0-2), led by the new face of the franchise, will keep trying to find their way during this rebuild season.