Texans' Nico Collins Backs C.J. Stroud Amid Recent Scrutiny

While the Houston Texans came up frustratingly short this season, it's been absolutely critical that they've not fractured into a bout of damaging recriminations.

Of course, head coach DeMeco Ryans has swung the axe down on some of his assistant coaches, but most everyone has closed ranks behind embattled quarterback C.J. Stroud after his brutal playoff implosion.

Indeed, star wide receiver Nico Collins has no doubt that a bright future lies around the corner, especially if they continue to hitch their wagon to Stroud's skill set.

“Just keep your head up, man,” Collins told Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. "It’s not the way we want to end. Our goal was to go to the Super Bowl, but things happen. But, man, just keep being you, brother. Don’t let this one game define who you are."

"We all know who you are. Keep being a star, keep being the leader you are, keep being the light in the room, man. Andjust keep being you. So, the dude’s a baller, man. One freak of a athlete.”

Nico Collins Keeps Confidence in Texans' C.J. Stroud

Collins' words of comfort are bound to boost the rather heavily beaten and bruised confidence of Stroud as they head off to work things out during the spring and summer months.

Trouble is, the NFL playoffs are a far different beast from what summer training and the regular season presents, and Stroud's mental development was proved to be lagging pretty far behind his prodigious physical tools.

Thankfully for the Texans longer term trajectory; the sheer stockpile of offensive and defensive talent should allow Ryans and Co. to develop the cerebral side of Stroud's game a great deal more intensively.

On the flip side, it does beg the question as to why the development of Stroud has left so many boxes left without exaggerated ticks? After all, this elite level of pro football has chewed up and spat out a great number of even more talented signal callers than Stroud before now— so there's a cautionary tale that lies within.