CJ Stroud is putting in the work this offseason.
The former Ohio State Buckeyes two-time All-American quarterback and 2023 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year with the Houston Texans dropped a picture on his social media showing some serious gains from his offseason workout.
Year 4 loading for CJ Stroud ⏳
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) May 3, 2026
(via @CJ7Stroud) pic.twitter.com/Yv9IxTrQqK
Stroud is reeling from one of his toughest seasons as a player, whether it was pro or college, which saw him miss three games with a concussion and finished with a career low in yards and touchdowns despite cutting down on turnovers from the season before.
CJ Stroud shows off gym gains from offseason workouts
It's hard to believe that Stroud is facing somewhat of a "prove-it" season after having such a successful start to his career. When the 24-year-old won the Offensive Rookie of the Year award, it looked like he was going to be one of the great quarterbacks of this era. But Stroud never looked right last season and then had one of the great meltdowns in the playoffs that made many people question if the Texans shouldn't try to trade him.
The idea of the Texans trading Stroud would've been unfathomable a year ago, but when players, especially quarterbacks, come up short in the postseason, it's magnified. Stroud had three turnovers against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card game, losing two fumbles and throwing a pick in the red zone. However, the Steelers were so inept on offense the Texans were still able to win comfortably. But Stroud became completely unraveled the following week against the Patriots in snowy conditions. He had four interceptions in the game — all in the first half, with one of them being a terrible pick-six.
It was a brutal performance, and it likely kept the Texans, who had the best defense in the NFL, away from making the Super Bowl. Stroud was accountable for his mistakes and promised better results in the future.
"Our team [was] doing great; our defense getting stops, and I'm just being careless with the football. I've got to get that fixed and something that I know I can. So I'm going to get that done," Stroud said.
Stroud will have to prove it on the field this fall, but if his offseason work is any indication, he is committed to being the player that everyone thought he would be when he entered the league.
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