What Happened to C.J. Stroud?
C.J. Stroud didn’t get hurt against the Colts on Sunday night; he was pulled early in the second half of Houston’s Week 18 win at Lucas Oil Stadium once it became clear the Texans had nothing left to gain in the AFC South race. Heading into Sunday’s game in Indianapolis, Houston still had a narrow path to the AFC South title: beat the Colts and hope the Jaguars lost to the Titans. By the time the second half kicked off, Jacksonville was blowing out Tennessee, and Houston’s staff knew the division was gone even if they took care of business on the road.
Stroud had already done his job, leading multiple scoring drives and keeping Houston’s offense efficient before halftime. So on the Texans’ first drive of the third quarter, DeMeco Ryans went to Mills, effectively shifting into “protect the quarterback” mode with the playoffs already locked in. Ryan Talbot (@RyanTalbotBills) shared on X that the Texans pulled C.J. Stroud against the Colts to protect him for the playoffs, with Davis Mills stepping in as Houston appeared willing to slide from the No. 5 seed.
Did C.J. Stroud Get Hurt?
No, there was no new injury for Stroud in this Colts game; the decision was strategic, not medical. He walked to the sideline without any visible issue, stayed in uniform with a headset, and watched Mills and the backups close out Houston’s ninth straight win. One of the fans, @ogaf1s, joked on X that C.J. Stroud was pulled at 169 passing yards, just short of the 175 yards they needed.
That matters because Stroud did have a concussion earlier in the season after a Week 9 hit against Denver, which cost him three games before he was cleared in late November to return ironically also for a matchup with the Colts. Given that history, it made even more sense for Houston to avoid exposing him to extra hits in a second half that no longer affected seeding.
Why Texans Pulled C.J. Stroud vs. Colts?
Houston pulled Stroud because, by early in the third quarter, the Jaguars were rolling the Titans and had the division effectively wrapped, turning this from a title-decider into a glorified tune-up. With a wild-card spot already secured and no realistic path to improving seeding, Ryans and his staff chose to protect their franchise quarterback and avoid any late, unnecessary hits.
Mills took over on the opening series of the second half and finished out the game, while Stroud stayed engaged on the sideline, signaling plays and talking through coverages with receivers between series. Some will remember Ryans handled his concussion return cautiously as well; this was in the same bucket as a calculated long-view move.
C.J. Stroud Stats
In this Week 18 meeting with Indianapolis, Stroud’s line was solid and almost workmanlike: 14 completions on 23 attempts, 169 yards and 1 touchdown before halftime, no interceptions. He helped stake Houston to enough offense that the backups could finish the job, which fits the pattern of his late-season form.
For the 2025 regular season, StatMuse has him at 2,872 passing yards, 18 touchdowns and 8 interceptions across 13 games, completing 64.8% of his passes at 7.2 yards per attempt with a 92.6 passer rating. That stretch included some big peaks: 318 yards and 2 TDs vs. a division foe on October 26, 260 yards and 3 TDs in a 40–20 win on December 14, and a 4‑TD demolition in a 44–10 road blowout back on October 5.
Disclaimer:
This article uses publicly available information about C.J. Stroud’s status, usage, and game decisions as of the latest Texans–Colts matchup. Team plans, injuries, and depth chart choices can change quickly, so readers should verify key details with official NFL, team releases, and trusted news outlets before relying on them.
