Texans' C.J. Stroud looks improved in front of packed house during training camp

Fair or not, all eyes are on Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud as he enters Year 4 and a potential make-or-break season.

Stroud, who has one year remaining on his contract after the 2026 season, remains the last player of the current Texans ' core up for a new contract that remains unsigned.

Entering camp, talks have begun to increase of a potential deal getting done by both sides, but there's still hesistation among the fan base of Stroud's long-term prowess after an abysmal postseason.

Perhaps some of those concerns were put to rest during Saturday's open practice.

No, Stroud wasn't perfect during team drills, but his footwork, touch and accuracy were improved from the first three practices. It felt like a clean back-and-forth battle between the two sides as Stroud kept moving the ball downfield against the league's best defense.

Series 4. Play 1: David Montgomery busts a nice run. Makes guys miss. I’ll go 15 yards but could have been a 65-yard TD. Play 2: C.J. Stroud to Xavier Hutchinson 7 yards. Play 3: Woody Marks 3 yard run Play 4: Stroud pass to Dalton Schultz was dropped.

— Jonathan M Alexander (@jonmalexander) August 1, 2026 "He's poised and he's a leader. He's a leader on his team and we all know that.," Pro Bowl wide receiver Nico Collins said after practice. "We have his back 100% of the way. I can't wait to see him rock out this year."

If the Texans can avoid looking like they did on the first series and more like the second, they could be rolling under second-year coordinator Nick Caley. After a rocky start, Stroud responded, connecting with Dalton Schultz for a first-down pickup.

He also found Xavier Hutchinson for a gain of 12 and later connected with second-year standout Jayden Higgins for a gain of 10. The highlight play of the morning came on a third-and-long, where Stroud eased a pass into Collins' hands over the defender's head for a gain of 18.

"He has all the tools in the world; we all know that," Collins said. "I can't wait to see my dog rock out. I can't wait to see it.”

Houston also showed confidence in running the ball behind new lead back David Montgomery and second-year player Woody Marks. Acquired from the Lions this offseason, Montgomery broke free twice for first-down gains, including one that could have counted for a touchdown in a live game.

Marks, who led the Texans last season with over 700 rushing yards, had a pair of first-down runs.

"We're progressing for sure. We're getting better every single day," Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. "We're going against the number one defense in the league. This is what you want to compete against every single day in the heat when you're hot and tired.

"I feel like, as an offense right now, we're humming."

Stroud finished 6 of 12 in team drills, though it should have been 8 of 12 if not for a bad drop by Schultz and a slightly overthrown ball to Foster Moreau. It's a promising step forward, but far from a finished product.

Calen Bullock, known for his ability to take away the football and create turnovers, noticed a more focused Stroud going into the season, thus giving the defense fits for the first time in early situations at practice.

"He's more comfortable out there, making better reads, making better decisions with the ball," Bullock said. "He's our leader. So we talk to him, what we see on the defense, if we see something, we talk about it in the locker room and he tell us, too."

The Texans return to practice on Monday morning.

This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Texans' C.J. Stroud looks improved in front of packed house during training camp

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