Christian Kirk: Stroud will take Texans 'as far as we want to go'

Quarterback C.J. Stroud has impressed new Houston Texans wideout Christian Kirk with his poise and leadership in their brief time together.

"The thing that sticks out about C.J. is he's super mild-mannered, but he has a lot of confidence and he's smart. He sees things well," Kirk said on SiriusXM NFL Radio's "Movin' The Chains." "He's a really good communicator. I think at that position ... that's a big part of him getting to where he is now and still excelling."

Kirk has been so impressed with Stroud that he believes the young passer can fulfill the Texans' greatest ambitions.

"He's gonna take this team as far as we want to go," Kirk said. "He's been great within the few months of spending time around him, communicating with him in the locker room, outside the facility. He's got a bright future, and I'm really excited to get to work with him."

Stroud made an immediate impact in his rookie campaign. He was named the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2023 after passing for 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns, and five interceptions while completing 63.9% of his passes. However, he appeared to take a step back last season, throwing for 3,727 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions.

Yet the Texans have won back-to-back AFC South titles with Stroud, as well as a playoff game in each of the past two years. Houston is looking to advance past the divisional round for the first time this season.

Houston made several changes to its offense this offseason. Nick Caley replaced Bobby Slowik as the team's offensive coordinator. The Texans also revamped their offensive line after the unit surrendered 52 sacks (second most in the NFL), trading Laremy Tunsil and signing Cam Robinson and Laken Tomlinson.

Kirk was brought in as well in a March trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He began his career with the Arizona Cardinals before spending the past three seasons with the Jaguars.

The 28-year-old joins a positional group that includes Nico Collins and 2025 second-round draft pick Jayden Higgins. Tank Dell continues to rehab after sustaining a severe knee injury last December against the Kansas City Chiefs.