Will Houston Texans Quarterback CJ Stroud Play in Hall of Fame Game?

The Houston Texans will kick off the 2024 NFL preseason against the Chicago Bears on Thursday in Canton, Ohio, at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in the annual Hall of Fame Game.

The game will coincide with the induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame of legendary Andre Johnson, the first player in franchise history. The Texans will play at home, while the Bears will be the home team.

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The game will mark Houston’s second appearance in the Hall of Fame and first since 2002, which came before the franchise’s inaugural season. For the Bears, it will be their sixth trip to Canton. Their most recent trip came before the 2018 season.

However, the first preseason game will be a way for rookies and several fringe players to prove their worth at the NFL level, meaning several of the Texans’ star players will not play in the team’s preseason opener.

After the ninth day of practice at Houston Methodist Training Center, coach DeMeco Ryans wouldn’t say which players would play in Houston’s preseason opener. Among them was sophomore star quarterback C.J. Stroud, to whom Ryans replied, “We’ll see,” when asked about his availability.

“Every time we line up, it’s real,” Ryans said. “For the guys that are on the field, it’s important,” Ryans said. “That’s the first thing we have to understand: All these guys are fighting for a spot on this team. They’re fighting for a spot, a chance to play in the NFL and get there, so we don’t take that lightly.”

Stroud finished his rookie season with 4,557 total passing yards, including the playoffs, which is the second-most in NFL history by a rookie quarterback — behind only Andrew Luck (4,662) in 2012. He led the Texans to a 10-7 regular-season record, marking the franchise’s most wins since 2019.

As a result, Stroud received his first Pro Bowl nomination while also receiving Offensive Rookie of the Year honors, which coincided with the league’s Defensive Rookie of the Year, teammate Will Anderson Jr.

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Follow Coty M. Davis on Twitter at @CotyDavis_24.

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