Camera Catches C.J. Stroud Going Nuts on Sideline During Texans-Bears Game

The NFL kicked off its 2024 preseason slate on Thursday, August 1 with the Hall of Fame Game between the Houston Texans and Chicago Bears. Due to severe thunderstorms, the game was suspended with 3:31 remaining in the third quarter, resulting in a 21-17 win for Chicago.

As expected for an early August exhibition matchup, fans didn't catch a glimpse of either team's big-name stars, including quarterbacks C.J. Stroud and No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams.

However, that didn't stop Stroud from showing off regular season-level emotions. ESPN cameras captured the 22-year-old reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year going wild on the Texans' sideline in celebration of his teammates.

Houston played all three of its backup signal-callers against Chicago, highlighted by first-half TD passes from Davis Mills and Case Keenum.

As a rookie in 2023, Stroud saw limited action in all three of Houston's preseason contests. The No. 2 overall draft pick completed 11-of-20 passes for 89 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT.

The Texans' final three preseason games will take them to Pittsburgh (August 9) before returning to Houston to host the Giants (August 17) and Rams (August 24).

Heading into his highly anticipated sophomore season, Stroud has the second-highest betting odds to win NFL MVP (+850), trailing only Patrick Mahomes (+475) at DraftKings Sportsbook.