C.J. Stroud saw an unexpected reaction following the reveal of his offseason haircut.
The Texans quarterback was asked about his fresh look Thursday and revealed that some NFL fans thought he was “depressed.”
“I honestly didn’t see the reactions. I was told people thought that I was depressed or that I was like — I wasn’t,” Stroud told reporters. “I was doing OK. I had been thinking about cutting my hair for a long time. I was actually going to do it months prior but I wasn’t sure how my helmet was going to fit. So, nothing really too serious. I’m kinda used to this haircut. It’s how I grew up. The dreads were kinda a new thing.
“I hate that everything in my life is so public. People just have narratives. It’s the life I’ve chosen to live. I like my haircut.”
Stroud is entering his fourth year in the NFL with a haircut familiar to friends and family that said makes him look “younger.”
“I hope that’s true,” he said, while adding he is trying to grow a beard.
“The team, people who have met me in recent like three to four years, they are like ‘Dang you look different,’” he said. “But my brothers, my sisters, my mom, my dad, my close friends from home, they are all like ‘It looks like you.’”
With his new look, Stroud will be looking to break into the AFC divisional round after falling just short in his three years when leading the Texans to the postseason.
The Texans went 12-5 last year and Stroud threw for 3,041 yards, 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Still, the Ohio State product has fallen short of his Pro Bowl rookie year numbers — 4,108 passing yards and 23 passing touchdowns.
Houston will host the Bills on Sept. 13 to kick off its regular season.