DeMeco Ryans is in the midst of a gigantic undertaking as he looks to rebuild the Houston Texans reputation in the NFL, and with rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud under center, he will have to overcome inexperience at the game’s most critical position.
Though Ryans is in no way hesitant to place his faith in his young passer, Stroud’s role as the Texans’ Week 1 starter is anything but certain. In comments made to the media last week, Ryans emphasized that any climb up Houston’s depth chart would only be achieved by merit, even for players selected with high draft picks.
“With C.J. and with all of our players — no one has a defined starting role right now,” Ryans explained. “Just want to see continued improvement from our guys, right? Are you improving and are you accountable to your teammates? Can we all count on you to make the proper decisions and make plays? Ultimately, help us win football games. For the guys on our team who can put us in the best position to win games — those are the guys who I want out there.”
Clearly, Ryans and the Texans are in the business of winning football games, and nothing will stand in their way as they pursue a playoff spot at the end of the 2023 season.
Whether Stroud, Davis Mills, or even Case Keenum takes snaps under center is inconsequential as long as the team wins, and Ryans couldn’t have been clearer that the best signal caller will start for Houston come September.
