Houston Texans fans were not happy with C.J. Stroud’s choice of headwear before and after the team’s preseason game on Saturday night.
Stroud was wearing a Seattle Mariners hat when he showed up to the Texans’ preseason game against the Carolina Panthers at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. The quarterback also wore the hat during his postgame press conference, and he laughed when asked about supporting one of the Astros’ division rivals.
“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. “It’s all good, I understand. It’s all about the swag.”
C.J. Stroud when asked about the Mariners hat:
— Jacob (@TexansJacob) August 16, 2025
“I still love the Astros but it’s all good I understand. It’s all about the swag baby 😂” pic.twitter.com/FPzJWxbesb
It is not unusual for players to wear hats supporting professional teams from other cities in other sports. Most pro athletes grew up as sports fans themselves and are from cities and areas of the country outside of where they play.
The issue for fans in Houston was Stroud’s timing. The Astros and Mariners are in a race to win the AL West. Seattle entered Sunday 1.5 games behind the Astros in the division. Many Texans fans are also Astros fans, so they cringed at the sight of their quarterback repping the cap of a rival.
Stroud certainly is not the first star athlete to rile up a fan base by wearing a certain hat.
