Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans announced that rookie quarterback CJ Stroud will start their third preseason game against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

CJ Stroud has played in both of the Texans' preseason games so far. In the first preseason game against the New England Patriots, Stroud saw limited action, throwing four passes, completing two of them for 13 yards and throwing an interception. He was also sacked once. Stroud got more playing time in the second preseason game against the Miami Dolphins, throwing 12 passes while completing seven of them for 60 yards in a 28-3 loss.

Hopefully the Texans offense finds more success in the third preseason game against the Saints on Sunday than it did against the Patriots and Dolphins. Although preseason does not mean much, it would be good for Stroud to go into the regular season with some positive momentum.

Stroud was the No. 2 overall pick by the Texans in the 2023 NFL Draft, and he was named the starting quarterback for the team. There are obviously expectations for him to become a franchise quarterback at some point.

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The expectation is not necessarily for the Texans and Stroud to win in year one. The team's roster is not viewed as strong yet. However, the hope will be that Stroud shows reasons for optimism that he can be a long-term answer at the quarterback position for DeMeco Ryans and progresses throughout the 2023 season.

After the preseason finale against the Saints, Stroud will make his regular season debut against the Baltimore Ravens on the road in week 1.