Texans’ CJ Stroud Clarifies Mariners Hat Choice: ‘It’s All About the Swag’

Houston Texans fans have seen a lot to like out of quarterback CJ Stroud in his first two seasons with the team, but he may have made a rare misstep, and it all has to do with hat selection.

The Texans hosted the Carolina Panthers on Saturday night in some NFL preseason action (and made quick work of them by a score of 20-3).

Stroud saw a bit of action, completing 6 of 8 passes for 44 yards and a touchdown, but he raised some eyebrows when he rolled into NRG Stadium wearing a Seattle Mariners hat. 

On top of that, he wore the same lid for his post-game presser, which had many wondering why he would wear the hat of one of the Houston Astros' division rivals.

Especially when he hails from California and played his college ball at Ohio State.

It turns out, it was a "swag" focused hat decision.

"I love hats. I wear hats all the time. I probably have every team, but I support the Astros and the Dodgers because I’m from L.A. It’s kind of contradicting, but I still love the Astros," Stroud said when asked about his choice of headwear, per Larry Brown Sports. "It’s all good, I understand. It’s all about the swag."

Texans quarterback CJ Stroud explained why he rolled into a preseason game wearing a Seattle Mariners hat, a division rival of the Houston Astros. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)

Stroud played this one well, but it's a prime example of why athletes sometimes have a bit of a conundrum on their hands when it comes to picking hats.

I mean, think about it. Athletes have teams they like too, and they want to support them. However, sometimes their allegiances might not jive with those of the other teams that play in the same market. That can lead to ire from your fans.

Then, if you throw swag into the equation, all bets are off. I mean, it's tough to out-swag a Yankees cap. However, if you're playing for the Patriots, Bruins or Celtics, maybe the amount of swag gained by that Bronx Bombers hat isn't worth the heat you'd get from Red Sox fans.

Stroud played this one well, but I think from this point on, he might start considering division rivalries when picking his hats.

Regardless of swag level.