How long is C.J. Stroud out? Concussion timeline, return date, latest updates on Texans QB

The Houston Texans could be without their star hurler for a spell.

C.J. Stroud exited Houston's Week 9 tilt with the Denver Broncos after suffering a concussion. He's the latest in a string of Texans' players to deal with injury trouble, joining Nico Collins, who missed two weeks with a concussion of his own.

Stroud is vital to the Texans' chances of competing for a postseason berth and potential AFC South title. The prospect of him missing time is a harrowing one for a Houston team that has tests against divisional rivals in the Jacksonville Jaguars and Indianapolis Colts in the coming few weeks. 

With that, here's what you need to know about Stroud's status going forward.

MORE WEEK 9 NFL:

• NFL power rankings for Week 9
• NFL Week 9 picks, predictions
• NFL Week 9 picks against the spread

What happened to C.J. Stroud?

Stroud went down with a head injury early in the second quarter of the Texans' clash with the Broncos. On third-and-eight, Stroud raced towards the first-down marker.

He slid short of the down-to-gain line. But he made his decision to go down late. Denver CB Kris Abrams-Draine caught Stroud as he went down. Although Abrams-Draine's tackle didn't appear to catch Stroud in the head, he landed awkwardly, hitting his head hard on the turf.

He was summarily evaluated for a concussion in the medical tent. Stroud was eventually ruled out with a concussion. His understudy, Davis Mills, took his place under center.

C.J. Stroud hit video

Video of Stroud's injury can be found here.

MORE: Where Davis Mills, Graham Mertz stand in Texans QB depth chart after Stroud injury

How long is C.J. Stroud out?

At present, it’s unclear how much time Stroud will miss due to his injury. The severity of his concussion has yet to be revealed. Stroud was evaluated to have experienced a "no-go" symptom, which includes the following:

• Loss of consciousness
• Gross motor instability
• Confusion
• Amnesia
• Fencing response
• Impact seizure
• Ataxia

Stroud has five steps to complete before returning to action. They are as follows:

• Symptom limited activity
• Aerobic exercise
• Football-specific exercise
• Club-based non-contact training
• Full football activity/clearance

Upon clearing the five hurdles, Stroud will be deemed eligible to return to the field.

NFL concussion protocol

The NFL's concussion protocol launched in 2011, although concussions have been part of football since the sport's inception. The NFL Players Association acknowledges this and credits itself with pushing for the standards that became the concussion protocol.

"The NFL had long denied the impact of concussions on our players," former NFLPA president J.C. Tretter said in 2022, who explained that the NFLPA started pushing for better protocols surrounding head injuries in 2009 ahead of the 2011 lockout. 

The NFL faced plenty of public pressure as well as the 2000s turned to the 2010s, with mounting evidence of CTE putting a spotlight on how head injuries can impact players' quality of life after their playing careers. As pressure built from both sides, the league took steps to ensure players who suffered head injuries were properly evaluated and had to go through a return-to-play process if diagnosed with a concussion.

Texans schedule