Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans provided an update on C.J. Stroud’s injury on Monday afternoon. The quarterback left the Week 9 game against the Denver Broncos early in the second quarter to enter concussion protocol after he was hit while attempting to slide.

The Texans eventually suffered an 18-15 loss to the Broncos on Sunday, but the injury sustained by the quarterback immediately raised a lot of concerns after he left the game. However, Ryans provided a positive update but failed to give a timeline for Stroud’s return to action.

“I spoke to him last night,” Ryans said. “He’s feeling a little bit better. “We’ll see how the week goes and how he progresses throughout the week.”

C.J. Stroud must complete the NFL’s five-step concussion protocol this week to be eligible for Week 10 against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. This raises doubt about his availability.

Looking to predict NFL playoff Scenarios? Try our NFL Playoff Predictor for real-time simulations and stay ahead of the game!

Should Stroud be ruled out of the game, backup Davis Mills, who came in against the Broncos, will step in as the starter. DeMeco Ryans expressed confidence in Mills’ ability to perform effectively.

“I expect [Mills] to go out and do his best,” Ryans said. “Just play the offense the proper way and make great decisions with the football.”

DeMeco Ryans comments on the call after C.J. Stroud’s hit

As C.J. Stroud began his slide, Broncos cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine made contact, causing Stroud’s head to snap back and strike the turf. A penalty was initially flagged but was overturned after review via replay assist. DeMeco Ryans expressed his view on the call after the game.

“He slid, and the guy came up and hit him,” Ryans said. “As I see his unnecessary roughness. He hits the quarterback when he’s sliding and giving himself up. If I’m incorrect on the rules, I’ve seen it happen multiple times with our guys. And we get the penalty, but for some reason, it just didn’t happen there.

“So we’ll look at the film and see what actually happened there. At the end of the day, we lost our starting quarterback, all right, because of the play. And any time you lose your starting quarterback, it’s always tough.”

With or without C.J. Stroud, DeMeco Ryans will look to lead the Texans to a win against the Jaguars on Sunday. The team dropped to 3-5 after the loss to the Broncos, but will aim to get back on track in the next couple of games to keep the hope of a third straight playoff appearance alive.