Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud has not just been impressive for a rookie; he has been one of the best players in football period this season.
Texans wide receiver Tank Dell put the NFL on notice about Stroud following the club’s Week 11 win over the Arizona Cardinals.
“When you got 7 back there, you probably should be scared,” Dell told reporters, via Justin Churchill of A To Z Sports. “He’s a special man. He’s a special football player. He’s the best player out there when he steps on the field.”
Through 10 starts this season, Stroud has thrown for 2,962 yards, 17 touchdowns and five interceptions while completing 62.8 percent of his passes and posting a passer rating of 99.3. He also leads the NFL with 296.2 passing yards per game.
Stroud didn’t have his best performance against the Cardinals, but he did enough to secure the win for his club, going 27-for-37 with 336 yards, two touchdowns and three picks in the 21-16 victory.
Not only is Stroud the frontrunner for Offensive Rookie of the Year, but the youngster is also in the MVP conversation.
Houston was not expected by anyone (probably not even its own fan base) to contend for much of anything in 2023. It was supposed to be a transitional year for the squad. However, thanks to Stroud’s efforts, the Texans are 6-4 and find themselves smack dab in the middle of the AFC playoff race. They are just one game behind the Jacksonville Jaguars for first place in the AFC South, and they will get a chance to complete the season sweep of the Jaguars when they host them next weekend.
C.J. Stroud, who played his collegiate football at Ohio State, was selected by Houston with the second overall pick of the NFL Draft back in April.
He was taken after long-time friend and fellow signal-caller Bryce Young, who went No. 1 overall to the Carolina Panthers.
Thus far, it seems safe to say that the Texans ended up with the better player.
Houston is aiming to make its first playoff appearance since the 2019-20 campaign.
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