New Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans is “proud” of the preseason performance so far of his rookie quarterback, CJ Stroud, but apparently, the QB hasn’t done enough yet in the games of Texans training camp to officially earn the Week 1 starting job over Davis Webb.

Houston took Stroud No. 2 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft, and he’s been getting the most time with the starters in Texans training camp and the preseason games. However, after two preseason appearances, Ryans still won’t commit to the rookie taking the first snap of the year vs. the Baltimore Ravens.

“We’ll have a starter in Baltimore,” Ryans told the media. “It’s the same as I said previously. You guys will see the starter when we get to Baltimore.”

Stroud struggled in his debut against the New England Patriots, going 2-of-4 for 13 yards with an interception. Against the Miami Dolphins on Saturday, he was better (although not that much better), going 7-of-12 for 60 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions.

Meanwhile, last year’s starter, Davis Mills, has looked more comfortable and effective than the rookie signal-caller. Davis went 9-of-12 for 99 yards and a touchdown in the Texans’ preseason opener and 10-of-22 for 94 yards in game two.

With a first-year head coach like DeMeco Ryans and a first-year QB like CJ Stroud, it’s not about winning Week 1 in 2023. It’s about setting the organization up to win Week 1 (and 2 and 3 and 4…) games in the future. And getting Stroud on the field as much as possible this upcoming season is the best way to do that, which is why Stroud will continue to get the lion’s share of the opportunities.

The next (and last) Texans’ preseason game is on Saturday, August 27, vs. the New Orleans Saints.