J. J. Watt drops blunt verdict on controversial roughing the passer to C.J. Stroud during Chargers vs. Texans

Former NFL star J.J. Watt has come forward with his verdict on the controversial roughing the passer call in favor of Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud. After the game, Pat McAfee took to social media to ask the retired three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year his thoughts on this decision taken by the game officials.

"Well... @JJ Watt.. your thoughts on that roughing tthe passer?" McAfee tweeted.

Watt responded by asking for the clip of the play so that he could make his judgment.

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"Was in our production meeting. Someone send the clip. I'll make my ruling."

After watching the clip, the ex-Texans star gave his verdict on the roughing the passer call. He shared a GIF of a man giving the Thumbs down, showcasing his disagreement with the call that was made.

In the fourth quarter, during a third-and-seven play, C.J. Stroud found himself in the pocket while trying to lob a pass down to WR Jaylin Noel. However, Chargers linebacker Daiyan Henley tackled the quarterback from the front, which resulted in an incompletion.

But the referees did not like the way Henley tackled C.J. Stroud and deemed it excessive. This resulted in them calling for a roughing the passer foul that resulted in a 15-yard penalty for the Chargers and an automatic first down for the Texans.

C.J. Stroud ended the game completing 16 of 28 passes for 244 yards and two touchdowns while throwing two interceptions on the field. The Texans took home the victory at SoFi Stadium with a 20-16 final score, which also helped them clinch a spot in the playoffs.

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C.J. Stroud gets honest about turning the fortunes of the Texans in 2025

The Texans had a disappointing start to the season with a 0-3 record. This raised questions about how the rest of the year would turn out for them and if they would be a competitor for the playoffs.

Now, despite all the doubts and uncertainty, the team is on its way to its third consecutive postseason appearance. In the postgame press conference after the victory over the Chargers, C.J. Stroud revealed how they never gave up hope.

"If you look at the NFL, every game almost comes to one point, I mean one score," Stroud said. "And, you know, just because it wasn't going our way for three weeks in the beginning doesn't mean it's not gonna go the rest. "What if we wold have won out, like that was our mindset. Every game is one game at a time, and that doesn't mean, you know, the urgency, wasn't up, you know. The urgency is up every week. But I think, you know, for us to be able to take it one game at time is why we're in a position we're in."

The Texans are in second place in the AFC South with an 11-5 record and an eight-game winning streak. They next face the Colts on Sunday, Jan. 4.

Edited by Priyam Hazarika