Texans not expected to play C.J. Stroud, starters in Hall of Fame Game against Bears

While the Houston Texans will take the field on Thursday in the annual Hall of Fame Game, C.J. Stroud will not be one of the players to see action.

Texans coach DeMeco Ryans confirmed during an interview on SportsRadio 610 Wednesday morning that neither Stroud nor the rest of Houston’s starters will play against the Chicago Bears on Thursday.

“When I look at the decision-making process of who’s playing, first thing’s first is we have an extra [preseason] game,” Ryans told Texans’ play-by-play announcer Mark Vandermeer. “So, [we] don’t want any of our starters out there playing.

“Our starters will not be out there playing.”

Chicago’s Matt Eberflus announced Tuesday following practice that the Bears would also rest their starters, including 024 No. 1 overall pick and former Heisman winner Caleb Williams. Tyson Bagnet was named the Bears’ starter in Canton and hopes to secure a spot on the roster.

Ryans did not specify if former third-round pick Davis Mills would start, but he’s been getting almost all the reps with the second-team offense.

“We want this time to be a really good evaluation time of our younger guys, so our second and third groups, you’ll see those guys out getting most of the reps,” Ryans said.

Stroud, along with Pro Bowl receiver Stefon Diggs and All-Pro defensive end Danielle Hunter, honestly don’t need to see the field at any point this preseason. Sure, it would be nice for fans to catch a glimpse of the newcomers in action, but Houston’s top importance is its quality of depth.

The Texans could elect to at least let the starters see a drive or two next week when they travel to Pittsburgh to take on the Steelers, though it’s uncommon for teams to play starters in the first preseason game.

Fans should still be pumped to see football back on their television screens, even without Stroud seeing the field. Dameon Pierce has been a standout in practice and now fans can watch him build off his success against a legitimate opponent.

The same goes for John Metchie, who continues to impress the coaching staff while splitting reps between the first and second-team offense. On defense, former top-10 pick Jeff Okudah is looking to secure his spot on the roster as the No. 3 corner behind Kamari Lassiter and Derek Stingley Jr.

The Texans will kick off against the Bears at 7 p.m. CT. Two days later, Texans legend Andre Johnson will be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, becoming the first player in franchise history to earn the accolade.