Texans wide receiver, key C.J. Stroud weapon gets unfortunate injury timeline

The Houston Texans will be without a veteran receiver, and one of C.J. Stroud's favorite targets, for at least a few weeks

The Houston Texans have arguably been the biggest surprise of the 2023 season, reaching Week 8 with a 3-3 record that doesn't feel remotely fluky. This is a testament to a job well-done by GM Nick Caserio and first-year head coach DeMeco Ryans, who is getting the most out of a team that has floundered the last few seasons. On both sides of the ball, the Texans are out-performing preseason expectations.

The early success of the Texans offense is a bigger surprise than the so far consistent play of their D. Led by rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud and mostly unproven weapons, the Texans offense has turned the ball over fewer times than any other team in the NFL and are in the top half of the league in both points per game and score percentage. Credit Stroud and budding stars like Nico Collins and Tank Dell if you want, they certainly deserve the shoutout, but another player who deserves a share of the credit is the elder statesman of the offense, 31-year-old wide receiver Robert Woods.

Here lies the problem: Woods will likely miss the next 2-3 weeks with a foot injury, according to a tweet by ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

“Texans’ WR Robert Woods is dealing with a foot injury that is expected to sideline him 2-3 weeks, per source. Woods already has been ruled out for today’s game vs. the Panthers, and is expected to miss a bit more time.”

Although not as dynamic as his younger counterparts Collins and Dell, whose splashy plays have helped put the Texans on the map this season, Woods has been a reliable target for the rookie C.J. Stroud. Bobby Trees is second on the team in receptions and third in yards, and after a few seasons cut short by injury earlier in his career, Woods had started 23 consecutive games between the last two seasons.

Although Woods' presence on the field will be missed for the next month or so, his impact on the team should still be a large one, even as he remains sidelined. Woods has seen it all in his NFL, playing for teams who are in the early stages rebuilding, on the come up, and even teams who were legitimate Super Bowl contenders.