Perhaps there is nothing worse for a quarterback trying to get his confidence back than losing one of their top receivers. However, that is precisely the position Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud is in after it was announced that receiver Jayden Higgins is going to miss this season because of a torn ACL he sustained in Houston's joint practice with the Las Vegas Raiders .
"Yeah, it's tough," Stroud said. "He was doing great. It was the best I've seen him. He was making plays. He was doing things that I haven't seen him do before and playing physical."
Higgins had a good season as a rookie last year with 525 receiving yards and six touchdowns. Stroud and backup quarterback Davis Mills also had a quarterback rating of 101.7 when throwing in his direction.
"You can't just replace a guy like that," Stroud said. "He's a heck of a talent, somebody who came into this league and made plays already early in his career. It sucks. There's nothing good to say. Sadly, we have to try our best to rise up, with the other guys around us. I think the guys that we do have in that room are special, so we'll be able to do that, but he's definitely going to be missed."
He was projected to be the No. 2 receiver on the roster according to Houston's unofficial depth chart they released prior to Higgins' injury. In response to his season-ending injury, the Texans decided to add two veteran wide receivers - Sterling Shepard and Zay Jones - that Stroud can start building chemistry with.
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: 'You can't replace a guy like that': Texans QB C.J. Stroud reacts to Jayden Higgins injury
