The Houston Texans began their offseason minicamp on Tuesday, and all eyes are on former Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud, who the organization selected with the No. 2 overall pick, and the battle between him and incumbent Davis Mills for the team’s starting job.
Stroud and Mills have split first-team reps throughout the offseason, but Stroud opening things up on the first day of minicamp by leading the first-team offense, according to a report from The Houston Chronicle’s Jonathan M. Alexander. While Stroud did not throw an interception, he did overthrow several receivers, another up-and-down day as he continues his transition to the NFL.
“The best thing I’ve seen about C.J. with his improvement and his growth is he doesn’t make the same mistake twice,” Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans said. “He learns from his mistakes, he puts those behind him and he finds a way to continue to improve and get better. That’s what being a pro is, and C.J. is definitely heading into the right direction when it comes to that.”
Mills and Stroud are expected to continue rotating with the first-team offense throughout camp, aimed at one of the quarterbacks stepping up to claim the starting job. While Stroud has not done so yet, the expectation – especially given his prime positioning in the draft – is that Stroud will eventually step up and claim the job ahead of his rookie season.
“As the competition continues to grow, we’ll see who separates themselves,” Ryans said. “The decision will take care of itself.”
