Bad news for Texans fans: C.J. Stroud ruled out for TNF
The Houston Texans will be without their starting quarterback for the visit of the Buffalo Bills on Thursday.


Quarterback C.J. Stroud has been ruled out for the Houston Texans game again this week. He will miss the meeting with the Buffalo Bills having not yet cleared the league’s concussion protocol.
The Texans will take on the Bills on Thursday Night Football this week, looking to build on a two-game winning run. Stroud has not played in either of those wins having sustained a concussion in Week 9. In his place, backup QB David Mills has gone 2-0 for Houston.
Extremely light work from CJ Stroud with Tank Dell helping the quarterbacks. pic.twitter.com/k7Ig4qENKC
— Landry Locker (@LandryLocker) November 18, 2025
The team had hoped that Stroud could be reinstated in time to face the Bills. He returned to practice on a limited basis on Tuesday but is still following the NFL’s concussion protocol.
Speaking on Tuesday, Houston coach DeMeco Ryans confirmed that both Stroud and safety Jalen Pitre would remain sidelined due to concussion.
“Both guys are progressing, they’re doing better,” Ryans said of Stroud and Pitre. “But right now, with the short-turnaround game on Thursday, just don’t have enough days for those guys to be available.”
Their absences will be a blow for the Houston as they look to capitalize on some positive momentum. Having gone 0-3 to start the season, the Texans have battled back to a 5-5 record and are now firmly in the hunt for a playoff place.
They take on the mighty Bills on Thursday, knowing that a victory would give them the added boost of a head-to-head tiebreaker against Buffalo, should the wild card chase come down to a fine margin.
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