Houston Texans rookie quarterback CJ Stroud is the franchise's present and future. There is no stopping the first-year quarterback from dominating on the field against the Cleveland Browns Saturday night at home during an AFC Wild Card showdown. The game has even yet to end, but Stroud has already bested an NFL record for rookies, per NFL senior researcher Tony Holzman-Escareno.

“C.J. Stroud has the most pass yards (183) by a rookie in the first half of a playoff game since play-by-play data has been tracked in 1991. There’s 11 minutes left in the 2nd quarter. The previous high was held by Dak Prescott (2016) and Brock Purdy (2022) who each had 147.”

Texans' CJ Stroud excellent in first NFL playoff test

Texans' CJ Stroud

With Stroud running the show for the Texans' attack, Houston managed to break away from the Browns before the end of the first half. Over the first two periods, the first-year quarterback passed for three touchdowns, each tossed at a different receiver. Stroud and the Texans' offense have done a masterful job of keeping the Browns' defense guessing, resulting in a blowout contest.

Much has been said about how great the Ohio State product is playing in just his rookie season in the NFL, but Stroud just seems to find new ways to further impress fans and experts alike. He finished the 2023 NFL regular season eighth overall with 4,108 passing yards to go with 23 touchdowns and five interceptions. The scary part is that he's not even close to realizing his full potential in the league.