C.J. Stroud isn’t spending much time entertaining Andre Johnson’s criticism.
The Texans quarterback brushed off the Hall of Fame receiver’s comments about his body language on Wednesday, saying he’s keeping his focus on Cincinnati and not getting pulled into a side conversation. Stroud has drawn scrutiny even though, for the most part, he looked better in Week 1 than he had late in the 2025 season.
Johnson’s concern was specific. Speaking on the LGND Talk podcast, the Texans great said, “With him, and this is just me personally, what I dislike about C.J. is his body language,” Johnson said on the LGND Talk podcast. “His body language is bad. . . .
“I think, as a former player, your quarterback having that type of body language is bad. Because other guys look at you as the quarterback. So, when they see you feeling a certain way, it kind of trickles through the team.”
Asked about it at his Wednesday press conference, Stroud kept his answer short.
“I really don’t have a comment for it,” Stroud said, via a transcript provided by the Texans. “I respect Dre as a person, I appreciate his critiques.
But I’m focused on this week, going 1-0 against the Bengals. I respect Dre, and if that conversation needs to be had, it’ll be had.”
DeMeco Ryans didn’t bite either. The Texans coach sidestepped the topic entirely.
“I don’t know what comments you’re talking about,” Ryans said. “I’ve been studying Cincinnati and going to sleep. Talk to Andre about it.”
One person in the building did back Stroud: teammate Will Anderson. He defended the quarterback’s leadership and said the Texans voted him captain for a reason.
“C.J., to me, he’s a leader,” Anderson said. “He wears that ‘C’ proudly on his shirt for a reason.
For us, as a player and as his teammate, we voted him as a captain. For us, we understand what it takes to be a captain and he represents and embodies everything it takes to be a captain on this team and that’s why we voted him as a captain.
“I think C.J.'s been doing a phenomenal job since his rookie year to now with great body language, getting the guys going, leading that group of guys over there and having enthusiasm and having fun on the sideline. If something doesn’t go right, I think he does a good job of bringing everybody back together and centering everybody.
We can’t really focus on that. Cincinnati’s up right now.
C.J.'s in a good place. The offense is rolling.
That’s a positive for us. He’s going to continue to keep doing great things and we’re going to continue to keep this thing rolling.”
The larger point here is simple: quarterback body language matters. When things go sideways, teammates notice how the guy under center carries himself, and that can ripple through the huddle.
The concern with any quarterback is that unmistakable “not my day” look that can creep in when a game starts slipping away. Johnson clearly thought he saw something worth calling out.
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It is another layer of scrutiny for Stroud, who is already under the microscope as he tries to reset the tone around the offense. Johnson specifically referenced Strouds struggles in a recent postseason game against the New England Patriots, turning what might have been a routine critique into a broader conversation about leadership and poise. For a Texans team trying to keep moving forward, the question now is whether its young quarterback can quiet the noise and answer a Hall of Fame alums challenge. [Read more 🡒]