Quarterback C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans had the bye week to rest up before taking on the Seattle Seahawks in Week 7. However, they enter the contest with new concerns about one of their top playmakers, wide receiver Christian Kirk.
### Christian Kirk Injury: Bad News for C.J. Stroud and the Texans
The Texans acquired Kirk from the Jacksonville Jaguars. A hamstring injury interrupted Kirk’s early tenure this offseason, and a similar injury now threatens to hinder or possibly sideline him against the Seahawks. Kirk, who is on an expiring four-year, $72 million contract signed while with the Jaguars, is supposed to be a safety valve for Stroud in the Texans’ offense.
Kirk missed Weeks 1 and 2 with his initial injury. Notably, he was not on the injury report this week until Friday. Since the Texans do not play until “Monday Night Football,” the next update is expected to come from head coach DeMeco Ryans on Saturday.
“#Texans wide receiver Christian Kirk added to injury report as limited, hamstring again,” KPRC 2’s Aaron Wilson reported on X before following up with an article detailing the veteran’s tumultuous start in Houston.
Kirk, who turns 29 in November, has caught 10 passes for 109 yards this season. He has battled injuries for much of his career, and this latest potential setback comes just as the Texans had found a rhythm offensively.
“If Kirk can’t go or is limited Monday night against the Seattle Seahawks, the Texans will lean on Xavier Hutchinson, Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel to complement Pro Bowl wide receiver Nico Collins,” Wilson wrote in his follow-up piece.
### C.J. Stroud Draws Attention as Texans Return From Bye Week
There was a lot to like about the direction Stroud and the Texans’ offense were trending before the bye week. Moreover, the third-year QB believes some of it can carry over as they move throughout the regular season and, hopefully, an extended playoff run.
Stroud and the Texans averaged 385 total yards of offense and 35 points per game in Weeks 4 and 5, earning their first wins of 2025 against the Baltimore Ravens and the Tennessee Titans.
Stroud was optimistic about the offense’s strides and drew attention for his remarks.
“I think we’re starting to find our identity and being versatile,” Stroud told reporters on October 16. “A lot of guys touched the ball against Baltimore. I think that’s a good thing. So, some things we can keep up, and keep up our tempo and getting in and out the huddle, just operational things, is good. So, keeping all that stuff up.”
However, Stroud was not pleased with everything the Texans did over the first five weeks of the season. He said he did some self-scouting during the team’s bye week.
While he did not disclose his findings, he noted some things he prefers the Texans stop doing.
“I’ll just keep that kind of to myself on what we think,” Stroud said. “But there were some things where I think we can build upon, and there are some things that I think we shouldn’t do anymore. We should just move on, try some other things. But I thought what we did coming to practice last Wednesday was really helpful to work on some of the things that we need to work on from just a big-picture standpoint as an offense.”
### Christian Kirk’s Potential Absence Looms Large in Week 7
The Texans had their three best offensive performances of the season with Kirk on the field, which could be coincidental. They have increased their yardage in each subsequent game since their loss to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 1.
Stroud’s candor drew attention as the QB found his stride, signaling potential growth for the Texans’ offense going forward — though the team will certainly feel the impact if Kirk’s hamstring injury keeps him sidelined against the Seahawks.
https://heavy.com/sports/nfl/houston-texans/stroud-bad-news-kirk-injury-report-seahawks/