Now and then, we get a rookie NFL quarterback who shows us they don’t really need to learn the ropes.
They’re usually way ahead of the curve, processing and dropping dimes all over the field like veteran superstars. Pro football lore does not feature many youthful signal-callers who are advanced at the position from the jump. We can safely add C.J. Stroud to the shortlist of the greatest rookie quarterbacks ever. Heck, if I’m being candid, he has a strong case as the NFL’s best rookie passer of all time.
After Stroud’s sparkling performance and late-game heroics against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, it’s difficult to argue otherwise.
CJ STROUDDDDDDDDDDDD. #TBvsHOU pic.twitter.com/gW2PMBVIbj
— NFL (@NFL) November 5, 2023
Most NFL teams who draft quarterbacks near the top of the first round hope their prospect starts showing meaningful flashes by Year 2 or Year 3. They’re more than willing to be patient to see a picture-perfect effort from the ideal face of their franchise. It’s a reasonable thought process because quarterback is obviously hard to play, and there’s so much to learn — on the fly and in the film room.
The Texans are lucky because they didn’t have to wait on the No. 2 overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft.
From the jump, Stroud has shown glimpses that he’s not only a serviceable starter but also a player with the potential to be one of the faces of the league. The young man isn’t even halfway through his rookie campaign and already has 14 touchdown passes and over 2,200 yards passing. He’s a gunner, a leader who elevates his teammates with his presence. These Texans have no business being 4-4, but Stroud won’t let them fade. As evidenced by his 40-second game-winning touchdown drive, he’s someone who is never shy of a clutch moment, too.
There will likely be more to come, but Stroud’s 470-yard, five-touchdown game against Tampa Bay in a 39-37 win will be remembered as one of the finest quarterback outings all year. Stroud was so marvelous against a Todd Bowles defense laden with multiple Super Bowl 55-winning veterans that it was hard to distinguish whether he was a seasoned 10-year professional or a guy making his eighth start in the NFL.
That’s just how locked-in he looked.
Take a gander at this passing chart from Next Gen Stats. It’s unbelievable every time I look at it because it reminds me so much of all the other AFC heavyweights like Mahomes, Burrow, and Josh Allen:
In the coming weeks, we’ll thoughtfully decide on the NFL’s most outstanding rookie quarterback ever. (That’s because Stroud has likely already locked up 2023 Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.)
While there will be some who cape for Cam Newton and people who vouch for Justin Herbert, among others, I’m here to tell you that that conversation starts and ends with Stroud. With all due respect, he’s simply better. Beyond the raw numbers, we have never seen a first-year NFL passer look this beyond his years. Stroud is an impeccably mature talent, someone who is taking a mediocre Texans squad and thrusting it into relevance almost singlehandedly.
I’ve never seen anything like it, and I can’t wait to see what he has in store for what looks like an incandescent future.
In For The Win‘s Week 9 NFL Awards, we’ve got a journeyman quarterback endearing himself to pro football lovers everywhere. Meanwhile, Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys fans were probably the only ones who didn’t enjoy an NFC East instant classic.
Let’s dive in.