The Indianapolis Colts don’t have much room for excuses when it comes to C.J. Stroud.
The Houston Texans quarterback took another hit in the NFL’s latest top-100 ranking, sliding all the way to No. 103 and missing the list entirely. For a player who entered the league with plenty of momentum, that’s a sharp fall - and one the Colts should be paying close attention to.
Houston still looks loaded on paper. The Texans added Jadeveon Clowney to an already nasty defensive line and have plenty of talent on both sides of the ball. But if Indianapolis is going to chase the AFC South’s top spot, Stroud has to be the soft spot it attacks.
That’s especially true because Stroud’s production against the Colts has still been strong, even as his overall play has slipped. In six career games against Indianapolis, he’s gone 5-1 with 1,612 passing yards, eight touchdowns, one interception and a 103.2 passer rating.
There’s a caveat, of course. Some of those wins came against a Colts team dealing with its own backup-quarterback carousel. Still, the bigger point remains: this defense should be doing more against a quarterback who has struggled when pressure gets home and the pocket breaks down.
That issue goes right to the heart of what Indianapolis changed this offseason. The Colts had major problems with their pass rush last season, so they reworked that group by moving on from most of the veterans and bringing in Arden Key, Micheal Clemons and rookie George Gumbs Jr. They also need a jump from Jaylahn Tuimoloau after he was largely invisible as a rookie.
That sets up a clear path for the Colts in their two meetings with Houston. The Texans have not built a dependable offensive line for Stroud, constantly shuffling starters and trying to patch things together. If Indianapolis can win up front, it can make life miserable for a quarterback who is not especially fast or mobile and has trouble when forced to roll out.
And the timing matters. This feels like a pivotal year for Stroud, who still has not landed a contract extension and doesn’t appear to be in any hurry from Houston’s side. The Texans need to know whether his rookie season was the real thing or just a one-year burst.
The Colts can help shape that answer. If they beat him twice in 2026, they won’t just tighten the division race - they could also deepen the questions around Stroud’s future.
With a healthy Sauce Gardner and Charvarius Ward, a revamped pass-rushing unit, and Stroud's continuous regression, the Texans might not be as big a threat to the Colts in 2026 after all.
In Other News...
Colts Backup QB Battle Just Put Anthony Richardson On Notice
Training camp has already turned the Colts backup quarterback job into a real subplot behind Daniel Jones, with Riley Leonard and Anthony Richardson both getting long looks as the team sorts out its depth chart. Indianapolis still intends to keep Richardson in the fold, but the early tone of camp suggests the competition is doing exactly what it was meant to do: push both passers and force the staff to pay close attention to every rep.
Leonard has made the stronger early impression in practice, showing more consistency in key moments and flashing the kind of live arm that can change how a roster conversation sounds in a hurry. If that gap keeps growing, the Colts may have a tougher call than they expected, especially with Richardson trying to hold off a challenger who has already started to make his case. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Camp Battles Are Starting To Reveal Some Tough Early Answers
Midway through training camp, the Colts are already getting a better sense of where some of the roster fights are headed, and not every competition is creating the same kind of suspense. The backup quarterback spot has drawn plenty of attention because of the names involved, while the kicking job has also become one of the more closely watched battles as the team sorts through its options.
There is still time for things to change, but the early pecking order is starting to take shape in a few key areas. At linebacker and defensive end, the Colts are still looking at open-ended competitions with no clear starters established yet, which should keep those spots worth tracking as camp moves on and the workload ramps up. [Read more 🡒]
Daniel Jones Is Giving Colts Fans A Reason To Believe Again
Daniel Jones is back on the field for the Colts early in training camp, and the early signs are encouraging. Coming off the torn Achilles he suffered in December, the quarterback said he feels good and has been able to work through the playbook without limitations while taking part in practices.
Jones has already been lining up under center, a small but meaningful checkpoint for a player working his way back from a major lower-leg injury. The emphasis now is on how well he can keep pushing off that foot and stay on time, the kind of detail that will tell the Colts plenty about where he really stands as camp unfolds. [Read more 🡒]