C.J. Stroud is entering an important third season with the Houston Texans after a remarkable rookie year and a less stellar second season. He will be eligible for an extension in 2026, so the Texans need to be sure about his potential.
Former Texans quarterback Case Keenum thinks Stroud is everything a team could want and more, even though he’s now with a different team. He shared this opinion during his welcome press conference with the Chicago Bears.
“C.J.’s a special player,” Keenum told reporters on May 28. “He did things as a rookie that I don’t think I’ve ever seen any quarterback do before. Honestly, he probably should have been in the running for MVP that year.
If he hadn’t been a rookie and surprised everyone, I believe he would have been talked about more for MVP, not just Offensive Rookie of the Year. That’s how special I think this young man is.”
Stroud had many ups and downs during his season, but it led him to become only the fifth rookie to throw for 4,000 yards in a season and the first Ohio State quarterback to make it to a Pro Bowl, according to ESPN’s DJ Ben-Aime in February 2024.
His partnership with fellow rookie receiver Tank Dell was also impressive, as they ended up with the eighth-highest passing yards for a first-year quarterback and wide receiver duo.
In addition, Stroud had an outstanding performance in the playoffs, tying for the third-highest passer rating at 157.2. He became the first quarterback chosen in the top two picks since 1967 to win a playoff game as a rookie and is also the youngest QB to achieve this milestone.
