The Houston Texans are hoping C.J. Stroud will eventually lead the franchise to prominence, and he'll face his first live game action Thursday night in his preseason debut versus the New England Patriots.
Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans told NFL Network on Monday that the Ohio State product and No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft will be the starting quarterback when Houston visits Gillette Stadium in Foxboro. Texans backup QB Davis Mills will get plenty of reps, too.
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The Texans haven't announced a Week 1 starter at quarterback, although it appears Stroud is definitely leading that competition.
The Patriots have not announced a starting quarterback for the first preseason matchup, but it would be surprising if many offensive starters played. The most likely scenario is backup Bailey Zappe and third-string QB Trace McSorley getting most, if not all, of the reps. Mac Jones did not play in the preseason opener last year.