Here's everything Houston Texans Pro Bowl quarterback C.J. Stroud said following joint practice with the Las Vegas Raiders, including his thoughts on the practice in general, the emergence of Fernando Mendoza and the stability of the run game beinging an upgraded entering 2026.
Question: On his thoughts on practicing with the Las Vegas Raiders
C.J. Stroud: “I thought it went great. I thought we made a lot of plays. Of course, all our mistakes, you can clean up. But I thought we moved the ball very well, ran the ball great, threw the ball great, took care of it for the most part. At the end, I have to do better there, but I think overall, we had a really good day.”
Q: On RB David Montgomery and RB Woody Marks as receiving threats
Stroud: “I think they're both great out the backfield.”
On whether its helpful to face Las Vegas Raiders’ DE Maxx Crosby in joint practice
Stroud: “Yeah, he's great. I think Maxx is one of the best in the league. I get to see two of him every day in [Will Anderson Jr. and DE Danielle Hunter].”
Q: On the value of facing another team in practice
Stroud: “There’s value any time we touch the field but, it's always good to go up against another opponent. Seeing the same guys every day, it can be hard running the same plays. I thought today we tested it against them pretty well. I thought everybody showed up and did their job.”
Q: On the growth of RB Woody Marks
Stroud: “I think he's been great since he got here. I think he's gotten stronger. I think his vision has gotten better. I think he's been doing great.”
Q: On WR Jared Wayne
Stroud: “He's been doing great. I think ‘J-Wayne's’ been one of our best guys we've had since I've been here. I'm super proud of him and just the work he's put in. I think he's been able to show up at this camp and I'm super happy and proud of him.”
Q: On whether he makes different adjustments when the center is different
Stroud: “We all do the same things. Everybody's different, but the protections and the run game is all the same.”
Q: On C/G Keylan Rutledge
Stroud: “He's doing great. I think [Offensive Line Coach] Cole [Popovich] is doing a good job coaching him up on what is being asked of him. He's been able to show that dog that's in him.”
Q: On Raiders QB Fernando Mendoza
Stroud: “I think he's a good player. I think he'll have a lot of success in the league if he continues to be himself and put God first. Of course, what they put around him matters. I think he has a great coach and a great play caller, so I think he'll do well.”
Q: On how the offense has handled picking up pressure throughout Training Camp
Stroud: “I think we've done a good job at it. First, it's identifying it correctly. Then my part, getting the ball out. I thought our routes were clean today and that I was able to anticipate. It's gotten better.”
Q: On feeling more confident entering year two in the offensive system
Stroud: “Yeah, it's year two, that happens. I think no matter what system you're in, if you're going to do it year after year, over and over, you're going to get better at it. I feel like I've gotten better.”
Q: On development in the offseason
Stroud: “It's working on yourself, your body, footwork and those things. Then you come back to OTAs when you start getting into the deep of the scheme.”
Q: On WR Jayden Higgins going down in practice and Higgins’ development
Stroud: “He's been doing great. I think he's been able to put some great days together consecutively. I think he'll be fine, but I wish the best and hope he's all good.”
Q: On whether the offense intentionally worked short pass game before attempting deep passes in practice
Stroud: “It was kind of just the practice we had. Early on, it was a lot of two-play sequences. We were trying to get back on track. Some of second-and-longs. You're not really going to be taking shots on second-and-long. We were just playing the drill the right way and trying to just take care of the ball and get us in a better third-down situation. We want to be aggressive and take opportunities if they're there.”
Q: On the resilience of the team
Stroud: “I think that's part of the game. You're going to have penalties. You're going to make mistakes. You're going to have turnovers. It's all about getting back up there and trying again. If you play scared in this league and you’re scared of making mistakes, you'll just be dead in the water. You have to take risks. Even when you do make mistakes, you have to just go to the next play and keep playing.”
Q: On how the offense has handled pre-snap communication
Stroud: We did great. We worked on it and our coaches did a good job preparing us. A lot of times, just getting on the same page and getting the IDs right, I think we did really good at it.”
Q: On TE Marlin Klein
Stroud: “He's getting better. I think he's somebody who is very raw, somebody who is very talented, but needs a lot of just work with just his mental. I think he's taking that step. I'm proud of him. He's been working his tail off at it. When he knows what he's doing, he's really good at it.”
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Everything Texans QB C.J. Stroud said following joint practice with Raiders