Tag: 2024 Texans

Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud goes global during 2024 Asia Tour with Cowboys star Micah Parsons

The Houston Texans quarterback CJ Stroud made his way to Asia to host football camps with Dallas Cowboys star Micah Parsons for 10 days.

The Houston Texans’ growing popularity comes after its surprise 10-7 season, largely due to the efforts of AP Rookies of the Year C.J. Stroud and defensive end Will Anderson Jr.

Stroud recently partnered with Dallas Cowboys star pass-rusher and Lone Star State icon Micah Parsons to hold youth and high school football camps for 10 days in three cities in Asia.

The 2024 Asia Tour, sponsored by Gridiron Imports, is a non-profit organization that aims to provide players around the world with an opportunity to play football and receive education at the high school and college levels in the United States. 

Friday marked the second day in Beijing, which Stroud shared with his Instagram followers, posting videos of him snapping photos with campers and going through drills. 

 

The duo will wrap up their time in Beijing on Saturday before stopping in Shanghai the same day and leaving the next. They’ll complete the tour with a week-long stay in Tokyo starting next week. 

While rivals during the season, Stroud and Parsons have frequently appeared alongside each other in the offseason. The Texans’ quarterback was a recent guest on Parson’s Bleacher Report podcast “The Edge” and again sat down together on B/R’s NFL Draft Live Show.

The content did not disappoint.

The two courtside together at Game 4 of the Philadelphia 76ers and New York Knicks playoff series, prompting another humorous quotable from Parsons that flabbergasted Stroud.

 

The two are clearly good friends off the field. On, they’ll meet for bragging rights when Houston travels to Arlington and AT&T Stadium to Dallas during the upcoming regular season. 

Stroud’s play has factored into his ascension into superstardom, and the continually rising popularity of social media has him poised to reach a level of buzz Houston has yet to see in this new age of technology. 

While J.J. Watt remains the franchise’s most influential star, even he couldn’t create the same hype as a young and talented quarterback like Stroud.

It’s a path nearly all legendary quarterbacks take. Fans loved Tom Brady when he was the underdog who upset the St. Louis Rams, dubbed the Greatest Show on Turf, but fans of teams outside of Boston hated him by the decade’s end.

Winning is the root of hate, and the Texans are building a strong contender after appearing in the playoffs again for the first time since 2019.

Free agency further magnified the buzz around the AFC South ballclub with the additions of Danielle Hunter and Denico Autry. At the same time, Stroud and the offense gained reinforcements from trades that secured Pro Bowlers Joe Mixon and Stefon Diggs. 

 

Winning the AFC South comes with playing a first-place schedule, including matchups with seven playoff teams from a year ago. It’ll be must-see TV when Stroud duels Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and reigning league MVP Lamar Jackson.

Houston had zero primetime games in 2023 until its regular season finale with Indianapolis moved to ESPN on Saturday. It was the nation’s first time truly watching Stroud since the College Football Playoff, and he gave them a show, throwing for 264 yards and tossing two touchdowns that led to a 23-19 division-clinching win.

Houston will likely be in multiple primetime games in 2024, and perhaps one will be its matchup with Parsons and Dallas.

The Texans won’t take any teams by surprise this season, so it’ll be a developing story throughout the year if Stroud and his team make opposing fans envy their success. 

Former Texans DL Teair Tart signs one-year deal with AFC East franchise

The Houston Texans lose another defensive lineman from their AFC South-winning roster to free agency.

Teair Tart won’t be headed back to Houston for the 2024 season.

The former Texans defensive lineman and Miami Dolphins agreed to terms on a one-year deal, according to Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz. Much like in Houston, Tart will serve as a priority rotational lineman in South Beach behind Benito Jones and Isaiah Mack.

Tart, 27, split time last season between the Tennessee Titans and Texans. He started the first 11 games in Nashville but was waived following a win over the Dolphins in early December.

Houston picked him off waivers, hoping to sturdy its trench play en route to a postseason push. Tart played in two games, recording three tackles, two pressures, and a tackle for loss.

Despite being a starter for the AFC South rival, Tart was inactive in both playoff games last winter following the regular season-finale win over the Indianapolis Colts. He recently visited with the Cincinnati Bengals, but left without a contract in his hands.

The Texans still could benefit from bolstering their interior defensive line despite adding former Titans lineman Denico Autry. Houston let Sheldon Rankins walk in free agency after a breakout season and later traded starter Maliek Collins to the San Fransisco 49ers in exchange for a seventh-round pick.

Atury, who turns 34 this offseason, primarily played as a defensive end in Mike Vrabel’s 3-4 defensive scheme, meaning his adjustment back inside could take time. The Texans also signed former Jacksonville Jaguars starter Foley Fatukasi following his release this offseason.

With two second-round picks, the Texans could find their long-term three-tech early in the draft. Several prospects linked to Houston include Florida State’s Braden Fiske, Texas’ T’Vondre Sweat, Michigan’s Kris Jenkins, and Ohio State’s Michael Hall Jr.

In 47 games, Tart has 79 tackles, 2.5 sacks, an interception and a fumble recovery.