Why I’m Not Worried About C.J. Stroud’s Shoulder — Just My Take on the Buzz
- Jun 4
- 8 min read
C.J. Stroud hasn’t thrown yet in open voluntary OTAs — and that’s been enough to generate some real buzz. I’ve seen fans speculating everything from hidden surgeries to long-term shoulder issues… even theories that he’s “holding in” due to contract frustrations.
Let’s clear that part up quickly: Stroud isn’t eligible for a contract extension until next offseason. And if he were unhappy or trying to make a statement, he likely wouldn’t be fully participating in everything else — walkthroughs, leadership reps, conditioning — all without restriction. That doesn’t line up with the behavior of a disgruntled player.
So, with all that speculation flying around, I did what any extremely normal, football-obsessed person would do in early June: I started digging into shoulder injuries in quarterbacks — how common they are, how teams typically handle them, and what we’ve seen in similar situations.
And after all that? I’m not worried.
That’s just my take — not telling anyone else how to feel. I completely understand why there’s concern, but here’s why I’ve landed where I have.
Disclaimer: I’m not a doctor, and I’m not claiming to be. This article is based on publicly available information, past injury history, and general research into common quarterback shoulder issues. While I’ve done my best to be accurate, some of the medical details may not be 100% precise, and this shouldn’t be taken as a diagnosis — just informed perspective as a passionate fan and analyst.
Exploring the Possibilities: From Minor to Major
Here’s how I see the different possible scenarios — ranging from the most harmless to the most serious.
Routine Soreness or Overuse Inflammation (Most Likely)
This is what DeMeco Ryans mentioned — and honestly, it makes sense to me. Quarterbacks deal with shoulder fatigue all the time, especially after ramping up their offseason throwing routines. It could be minor rotator cuff inflammation, a little AC joint irritation, or just general tightness after a high-usage season.
This kind of thing usually resolves on its own with rest, and May/June is the perfect time to manage it rather than push through and risk a setback.
Minor Procedure or “Cleanup” (Unlikely, but Possible)
Could there have been a minor scope in the offseason to clean something up? Sure. Athletes get these types of procedures all the time:
Debridement of fraying
Bursa sac removal
Labrum trimming (not a full repair)
It’s rare for something like this to stay completely under the radar, but it has happened before — most notably with Dak Prescott, who had a cleanup procedure on his non-throwing shoulder after the 2020 season. It wasn’t revealed until training camp months later, and it never affected his availability.
So if Stroud had something very minor done early in the offseason and recovered fully by spring, it's technically possible.
But given that CJ was wakeboarding and shooting basketballs recently — both activities that demand shoulder strength and range of motion — I don’t think it’s likely. You’d typically see more visible restrictions if he were coming off even a minor surgery.
Major Injury or Surgery (Highly Unlikely)
This is the doomsday scenario some fans (not many) are throwing out — that Stroud had major shoulder surgery and the team is hiding it. But to me, nothing about what we’ve seen aligns with that.
There’s been no brace, no limited range of motion, and no real change in how he’s engaging with the team. He’s active in walkthroughs, seems in good spirits, and is doing things that wouldn’t be allowed if he were recovering from a serious operation.
Flare-Up From Wakeboarding or Tubing
This is something I hadn’t considered at first, but it’s reasonable. Stroud was recently seen wakeboarding, and activities like that can absolutely put stress on the shoulder — especially if you hit the water hard or resist a pull from the rope awkwardly.
If he had some mild irritation before and wakeboarding aggravated it slightly, it would explain why the team is giving him extra rest now. But again, the fact that he was seen playing basketball soon after makes it feel like if that happened, it wasn’t serious.
Injury History and What It Means
Part of why this recent shoulder “soreness” has generated so much speculation is because of C.J. Stroud’s past shoulder history — going all the way back to college.
In 2021 at Ohio State, Stroud entered the season dealing with what he called a “stressed” rotator cuff, suffered during fall camp. Then in Week 1 vs. Minnesota, he took a hit to his throwing shoulder and suffered a Grade 1 AC joint separation, which he later confirmed publicly in an interview with BTN. He played through the injury for several weeks — including games against Oregon and Tulsa — before sitting out against Akron on Sept. 25 to give the shoulder time to rest.
While Stroud described the rotator cuff stress and AC joint separation as separate issues, they were likely related in effect. A rotator cuff that’s inflamed or overworked can reduce shoulder stability and increase the likelihood of AC joint trauma when taking a hit — especially in a game setting. That context makes what happened to Stroud in 2021 feel like a classic example of pushing through too much, too soon.
Since entering the NFL, there have been a few more moments where Stroud has taken hits to that same area:
In his NFL debut, he was hit hard and landed awkwardly on his shoulder. He played through it, but there was clear discomfort for a week or two.
In Week 14 of the 2024 season vs. the Jets, he took another big hit and exited briefly — officially due to a concussion — but again, his shoulder was visibly affected.
Then on Christmas Day vs. the Ravens, he was slammed onto his throwing side and looked noticeably shaken up. He came out briefly, returned, and still helped lead the Texans into the postseason with strong performances down the stretch.
In fact, late last season, Stroud even referenced playing through an injury — though he stopped himself mid-answer to avoid making excuses. The exact nature of the issue was never disclosed, but it’s another piece that’s added to fans’ concern about his long-term durability.
Could This Be a Pattern?
Some fans may wonder if these shoulder issues are becoming chronic. I don’t think that’s the case — but I get the concern.
Looking back at 2021, the timeline suggests that Stroud’s stressed rotator cuff may have made his shoulder more vulnerable to the AC joint separation that occurred a few weeks later. That’s not unusual. If the rotator cuff is inflamed or overloaded, it can compromise shoulder stability and increase the risk of separation if you take a hit.
That’s why I actually think the Texans are making the right call now. If this offseason soreness is rotator cuff-related — which seems likely — the best thing they can do is shut him down temporarily to let it calm down. It prevents the kind of escalation that happened during his college days.
This doesn’t mean he’s dealing with a chronic condition. These injuries are usually separate incidents, driven by throwing load, fatigue, contact, and how the body is managed. It’s possible he simply ramped up too hard this offseason — the same way it may have happened in 2021 — but that doesn’t mean it’s permanent or serious. It just means he’s learning how to manage his body like most young QBs do.
The Texans Have Shown They’re Cautious with Injuries
Another reason I’m not reading too much into this is because the Texans have already shown a clear pattern under Nick Caserio and DeMeco Ryans: they’re careful with player health and don’t rush guys back.
We saw it with:
Nico Collins, who missed time in 2023 and 2024 with leg injuries (calf and hamstring) and was brought along cautiously both years.
C.J. Stroud, who had a concussion in 2023 and didn’t return until he was cleared and fully ready, despite outside pressure.
Both Caserio and DeMeco have mentioned this philosophy multiple times: they’d rather lose short-term availability than risk long-term setbacks. So Stroud not throwing in OTAs? It’s just consistent with how they do things — not a sign something’s being hidden.What Does It All Mean?
What Does It All Mean?
I understand why fans are concerned. When a young quarterback keeps taking hits to the same general area — and then we hear “soreness” in the offseason — it’s natural to worry about long-term issues.
But based on how these types of injuries usually work, it doesn’t raise red flags for me.
Most of these incidents appear to be AC joint sprains or contusions, which typically heal fully with rest if there’s no separation or tear. Stroud has returned quickly each time and performed at a high level — which tells me this hasn’t been a recurring structural issue.
Also — and I think this gets lost sometimes — this type of management is completely normal for high-volume quarterbacks. It’s actually a lot like how baseball pitchers are brought along slowly in spring training. They're eased in because they’re throwing high-stress reps, and the recovery time is just as important as the workload.
Even in football, “pitch counts” are more common than fans realize. When I played in college, it wasn’t unusual for QBs who had heavy throwing days — whether in a game or in practice — to have very light passing workloads the next week to protect their arm and shoulder. Most times it wasn’t even due to injury — just smart load management.
In that context, what the Texans are doing with CJ right now actually looks like standard, veteran-level precaution, not cause for panic.
One Stat That Explains a Lot
Here’s what really stood out to me while looking into this: the jump in his throwing volume from college to the NFL.
NFL Totals (2023–2024):
1,031 regular season attempts across 32 games
115 playoff attempts across 4 games
1,146 total pass attempts in 36 NFL games
Ohio State Totals (2021–2022):
830 total pass attempts
441 in 2021 (12 games including the Rose Bowl)
389 in 2022 (13 games including the CFP semifinal)
25 total games
So in just two NFL seasons, Stroud has already thrown 316 more passes than he did in two full college seasons — and in 11 more games. That’s nearly a 40% increase in volume, with a major jump in defensive speed, contact, velocity demands, and throwing under pressure.
In my eyes, it’s no surprise if his shoulder is a little tired right now.
Yes, There’s Still Some Valid Concern
One thing I do understand is the concern about chemistry and reps. Stroud is working with:
A new offensive coordinator in Nick Caley
New weapons like Christian Kirk
Rookies like Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel
This time of year is important for timing and rapport. Ideally, your franchise QB is throwing to these guys. So yes — there’s some minor concern there for me.
But if this is just about managing a little inflammation, I’d rather it get handled now than linger into the season.
I Also Get Why Houston Fans Are Sensitive About Injuries
Let’s be honest — fans in this city have seen a few things lately that make us cautious.
Kyle Tucker’s injury last year with the Astros was initially called a “bone bruise,” but ended up being a fracture and kept him out much longer than expected.
Christian Harris had a vague “calf strain” with the Texans, came back in camp, looked to re-aggravate it, and didn’t return until deep into the season.
Yordan Alvarez had a strained or inflamed thumb, only to get ready to come back, take live BP and find out that it was a fracture just days ago.
When you’ve been burned by vague injury updates before, it’s natural to worry. I get that. I’ve felt that too.
But in this case, I’m just not seeing any of the red flags that would suggest it’s something major with CJ.
Final Thought — Just My Perspective
To me, this feels like a young QB coming off a heavy workload, dealing with a little soreness, and a smart team choosing rest over risk.
He’s walking around fine, interacting normally, and doing activities that wouldn’t be allowed if this were serious. Could something change down the road? Sure. But right now, I don’t see cause for panic.
That’s just where I stand — you’re free to draw your own conclusions. I’ll be watching like everyone else, but for now, I’m not stressing over it.
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