C.J. Stroud Spent Part of His Offseason at Athletes First Elite Week—Here's What It Was All About

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While Texans fans anxiously await the start of training camp, C.J. Stroud has spent part of his offseason taking part in one of the NFL's premier invite-only events.

The 10th Annual Athletes First Elite Week once again brought together dozens of the league's biggest stars for several days of training, philanthropy, networking and business development before the start of the 2026 season. Hosted by premier NFL agency Athletes First, the annual gathering has evolved into much more than an offseason workout—it has become one of the league's signature offseason events.

More Than Just Football

Elite Week isn't simply a collection of throwing sessions and workouts.

Athletes First has built the event around preparing players for life beyond football, bringing together NFL athletes, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, founders and executives to discuss investing, ownership and long-term wealth creation.

This year's programming expanded even further with The Summit, a three-day business conference held in partnership with Entrepreneur Media at The Lodge at Blue Sky in Park City, Utah. The event featured discussions with founders, investors and CEOs while emphasizing business ownership and generational wealth rather than simply endorsement opportunities.

As Athletes First Head of Properties Matt Shulman explained before the event, more players are looking to become founders and investors during—and after—their playing careers, making relationships and education just as valuable as offseason training.

Celebrity Waiter Night Returns

One of the most recognizable traditions of Elite Week came on June 27 when Stroud traded his Texans jersey for an apron during the 3rd Annual Celebrity Waiter Night at The Guest House Scottsdale.

The charity event featured numerous NFL stars serving food and drinks to guests while raising money for The Fair Catch Foundation, founded by Stroud's agent, David Mulugheta, alongside event partners The Guest House and inKind.

Among the players participating alongside Stroud were:

• Micah Parsons

• Jordan Love

• CeeDee Lamb

• Deebo Samuel

• Jalen Ramsey

• Deshaun Watson

• Will Johnson

• Ryan Clark

  
  

Guests purchased sponsored tables while players worked as celebrity servers throughout the evening, creating one of the NFL offseason's more unique charitable events.

An Annual Tradition for Stroud

This wasn't Stroud's first appearance.

He also participated in the inaugural Celebrity Waiter Night in Austin in 2024 before returning for subsequent editions, making the event something of an annual tradition among many Athletes First clients.

It's another example of the close relationship between Athletes First and its players, who frequently participate in charitable initiatives, offseason training events and networking opportunities organized by the agency throughout the year.

Building More Than a Quarterback

For Texans fans, seeing Stroud at Elite Week isn't about changing his throwing mechanics or preparing for training camp—those sessions happen throughout the offseason.

Instead, it's a glimpse into how today's franchise quarterbacks spend their time away from the field.

The NFL's biggest stars increasingly view themselves as entrepreneurs and investors alongside being athletes. Elite Week reflects that shift, blending football, philanthropy, leadership and business development into one event.

With training camp just around the corner, Stroud's appearance served as another reminder that the Texans quarterback continues to be one of Athletes First's featured young faces—not only on the field, but also in the business and charitable initiatives the agency has prioritized throughout the offseason.