HOUSTON -- In the early days of the Texans’ sweltering training camp, C.J. Stroud lined up in the shotgun before scanning the defense.
After the ball was snapped, he sold the handoff to running back David Montgomery, tucked it and took off through an opening in the defense. Stroud quickly accelerated into the second level, picking up a first down before cornerback Kamari Lassiter caught up to him.
Stroud certainly isn’t known as a running quarterback -- he’s totaled 609 rushing yards in his career -- but that doesn’t mean he’s incapable of scrambling when he needs to. However, Stroud’s hard work this offseason and the results of it have been notable.
“It’s not that he didn’t look healthy or not look in shape,” Texans wideout Xavier Hutchinson told ESPN. “But this is probably the best shape I’ve ever seen him from a physique standpoint.”
Stroud became leaner by cutting sugar from his diet. He added muscle and improved his speed to be more of a dual-threat quarterback whenever he might need to escape pressure.
But his lean look isn’t the only thing that’s caught attention this offseason. He also cut his signature dreadlocks.
“People thought I was depressed or that I wasn’t doing OK,” Stroud said. “But I’ve been thinking about cutting my hair for a long time and I was actually going to do it months prior, but I just didn’t know how my helmet was going to fit. I’m kind of used to this haircut, it’s how I grew up, the dreads were kind of a new thing.
“I hate how everything in my life is so public and people just have narratives, but it’s the life I’ve chosen to live, so it’s all good.”
As far as the other changes to his body, Stroud has shown improvements in things besides scrambling throughout training camp. He has had plays where he successfully ran away from defensive end Will Anderson Jr. to keep a play alive before firing a pass down the field.
“I do feel fast,” Stroud told ESPN. “You want to be explosive, but I also think it has to do with making sure you’re able to take hits.”
The 2023 No. 2 pick wasted no time working on himself following a disappointing playoff run that ended in January with seven turnovers in two playoff games, including four first-half interceptions in Houston’s divisional round loss to the New England Patriots.
The organization has seen the work ahead of a pivotal 2026 season, in which Houston has Super Bowl expectations -- with general manager Nick Caserio saying, “It’s probably the best offseason he’s had since he’s been here.”
Coach DeMeco Ryans has noted improvement in his quarterback’s pocket movement as well.
“[Stroud] has grown from the aspect of being able to really maneuver in the pocket,” Ryans said. “Not just maneuvering, but it’s keeping two hands on the football, it’s securing the football, it’s stepping up in the pocket and still keeping his eyes downfield. Making the proper read, still throwing strikes, that’s what’s impressive about him. He’s not getting flustered if things break down, he’s still able to maneuver and make those plays on the run.”
Ryans called Stroud’s ability to be accurate from the pocket and using his legs as “unique.” It’s what Texans quarterback coach Jerry Schuplinski calls a “coach’s dream.”
“When you could kind of steal a first down or steal a gain off of something like that, it’s awesome,” Schuplinski told ESPN. “Now we got to work on getting down and protecting ourselves.”
Schuplinski is referring to when Stroud suffered a concussion against the Denver Broncos in Week 9 last season that forced him to miss three games. Stroud scrambled on third-and-8 and slid short of the first-down mark, but Broncos cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine lunged into Stroud and the quarterback’s head hit the ground, knocking him out of the game.
Stroud wanted to improve his strength to help him absorb hits and “keep ticking on” for when he takes off.
“I’ve always kind of been quicker than people think,” Stroud said. “But it’s more about being stronger than anything. I have more of a quick twitch, but I think I’ve been able to kind of extend plays my whole career. But I definitely feel I’m stronger. I can, God willing, take more hits. And that was the point of getting leaner and losing fat mass.”
But according to Lassiter, seeing Stroud on those torrid days of summer on the practice field wasn’t something that surprised him.
“He’s not unathletic,” Lassiter said. “I feel like he’s always been fast. People just sleep on him.”
