Texans QB C.J. Stroud Makes ‘Contradicting’ Comments After Controversial Display

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C.J. Stroud #7 of the Houston Texans looks on before facing the Carolina Panthers.

The Houston Texans squared off against the Carolina Panthers on Saturday, notching a 20-3 victory with star quarterback C.J. Stroud getting the start. However, Stroud managed to make headlines thanks to his appearance more than his performance.

More specifically, Stroud’s apparel caught the attention of watchful onlookers, with the Texans Pro Bowler donning a Seattle Mariners hat both before and after the contest.

Stroud brushed aside the stir his preference caused, saying, “I love hats.”

“I wear hats all the time. I probably have every team. But I support the Astros and the Dodgers because I’m from LA,” Stroud told reporters on August 16. “It’s kind of contradicting, but I still love the Astros. But it’s all good. I understand, but it’s all about the swag, baby [laughs]. I’m just kidding.”

Stroud went 6-of-8 for 44 yards and 1 touchdown in the win over the Panthers, finding No. 1 wide receiver Nico Collins for his score.

Still, it was Stroud’s hat that garnered the most attention before and after the Texans’ win.

C.J. Stroud Causes Stir Before & After Texans Game

Stroud not only drew attention from the media for his hat, but the Mariners, the AL West rivals of the Astros, also took note and posted “Lookin’ good, CJ [salute emoji]” on X on August 16.

That only added to the playful scrutiny Stroud faced.

“The Astros/Dodgers thing is definitely ‘contradicting,’ given the sign-stealing scandal that put an asterisk on the Astros’ 2017 World Series win over the Dodgers,” Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio wrote on August 17, noting Stroud was in high school at the time.

“While he can wear whatever hat he wants to wear, there’s a basic ‘when in Rome’ quality that comes from being the starting quarterback for an NFL team. Local fans of the football team are also fans of the other local sports teams. Right or wrong, they expect the players to act accordingly.”

Stroud has donned Astros gear in other high-profile situations, backing up his postgame comments.

Florio noted that Stroud is not the first athlete to gaffe with his choice of headwear, pointing to Colin Kaepernick wearing a Miami Dolphins hat while still with the San Francisco 49ers in 2013.

Florio also urged Stroud and the Texans star’s peers to remember that “fan is short for fanatic.”

“Players would be wise to at least factor that broader sense of fanaticism into deciding which hat from the collection should be donned to the stadium for a game. Is it worth inviting avoidable venom from fans who are fanatical about both the local baseball team and the local football team?” Florio wrote.

“Our guess is that, moving forward, Stroud’s Mariners hat will remain on the shelf, unless and until he’s the starting quarterback of the Seahawks.”

Texans ‘Nixed’ Trade for C.J. Stroud

Florio’s Seahawks comment was presumably made in jest, but it is a reminder that the Texans could very well have ended up facing Stroud with Bryce Young on Saturday instead of the other way around.

The Houston Chronicle’s Jonathan M. Alexander detailed the sequence of events that led the Texans and Stroud to each other.

Per Alexander, the Texans “nixed” the three-team deal that included the Chicago Bears.

“At one point, the Texans, Panthers and Bears had the framework of a deal in place for Houston to trade up from No. 2 to acquire the No. 1 pick from Chicago, which would then trade down to No. 9 with Carolina, two sources told the Chronicle,” Alexander wrote on August 16. “But the Texans backed out of the deal and stayed put at No. 2.”

The Panthers traded with the Bears to move up to No. 1, landing Young in Carolina and Caleb Williams in Chicago with the top pick one year later. At least so far, the non-trade has worked out for Stroud and the Texans better than it has for either Carolina or Chicago.