The NFL is a quarterback-driven league. While there are exceptions, most championship teams now rely on having a truly elite quarterback under center. For the Houston Texans, they seem to have found their guy in CJ Stroud. The second overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft was one of the best QBs last season, winning Offensive Rookie of the Year and even gaining MVP traction at one point.
With the 2024 season coming up soon, CJ Stroud was asked about who he thinks were the best quarterbacks last season in the NFL. The Texans star quarterback rattled off a bunch of familiar names, but there were some interesting choices. (post via ClutchPoints)
In order, Stroud listed Kansas City Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes, Baltimore Ravens star and reigning MVP Lamar Jackson, himself, Dallas Cowboys' Dak Prescott, and Philadelphia Eagles' Jalen Hurts. There's a few notable omissions there: Bills star Josh Allen isn't there. So is San Francisco 49ers' Brock Purdy. Still, the Texans star gave a pretty good list of the best quarterbacks in the league last season.
The AFC, in particular, is chock-full of talented quarterbacks. We already touched on Mahomes, Jackson, Stroud, and Allen. Joe Burrow is also part of that conversation, though an injury-riddled 2023 season clearly left him out of the Texans star's list. The same goes for Justin Herbert and Aaron Rodgers, who had their seasons cut short. Trevor Lawrence, Anthony Richardson, and Tua Tagovailoa belong on that tier just below these stars.
Long story short, Stroud and the Texans will need to deal with these stars this season. Houston shocked the world last season by breaking out last year, but the onus is now on them to prove that it wasn't just a fluke. They have a lot on their plate next season.
Stroud's magical season
As for Stroud, he is basically under the same expectations as the Texans for this season. Many expected both him and top pick Bryce Young to go through the usual rookie troubles. A few flashes here and there, a breakout game or two, but mostly filled with struggles. However, the Texans got a few breaks. Tank Dell and Nico Collins ended up being game-changers in their own right, giving Stroud a legit #1 and #2 WR.
DeMeco Ryans' coaching job was also excellent. He mainly focused on the defense, which still helped Stroud out pretty well. Overall though, his coaching job really allowed Stroud to just focus on what he does best. The Texans QB was calm and poised in the pocket, like the scouting report suggested. However, it was his improvisation outside the pocket that truly took him to the next level last season. He was the complete package: a label that no one really put on the Texans star.
Stroud has now firmly placed himself in the upper echelon of quarterbacks in the NFL. The Texans, on the other hand, finally have their franchise quarterback after the Deshaun Watson debacle. They did pretty well in their first year, making it to the Divisional Round and losing to the Ravens. The season after the breakout campaign is always the hardest, though. How well will they do in 2024?
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