It was always expected that quarterback C.J. Stroud would grow into the Texans’ star franchise quarterback.
That’s what’s understood when a quarterback-needy franchise takes a quarterback No.2 overall in the NFL Draft like the Texans did with Stroud this past spring. If there was any uncertainty, it was how long the process would take.
One season? Two seasons, maybe?
“It’s very calming when you know you have a great quarterback in C.J., a guy who is ready for the moment and a guy who really believes in himself and his teammates. When it’s a tie game or even if we are down going into the last part of the game, we know that we have a great quarterback and great offense that wins games. It’s very encouraging, and man I’m glad they are all on my team. They are some ballers. They’ve saved us two times.”
texans safety jalen pitre
But 10 games into his NFL career, that moment has arrived as Stroud threatens to re-write all of NFL rookie quarterback records, and the season still has at least seven games to go. Even the always-confident Stroud has been impressed with his rapid growth.
“It’s been amazing. It’s been good. It’s been a dream come true,” Stroud said to the Defender about the start of his career. “It’s been hard. It’s been challenging. It’s been everything that I’ve asked for and more, you know?
“So, being an NFL quarterback isn’t easy, but that’s why I feel like I was chosen to take on this role, and I feel like I’m trying to do [as]best as I can, and I’m blessed enough to have the support system around me – from my family, to my teammates, to the front office, to my coaches – everybody around me has been helping a lot. And I feel like I’m trying to do the same with them, as well.”
Star in the making
From most vantage points, Stroud seems to be holding up his end of the bargain. Before Sunday’s home win against the Arizona Cardinals, he became just the fourth rookie in NFL history to accumulate 2,500 passing yards in his first nine starts.
Stroud also established a new single-game rookie record a few weeks ago when he passed for 470 yards and five touchdowns in the win over Tampa Bay.
In no time, he is putting up non-rookie-like numbers and leading the rebuilding Texans to improbable wins and winning over his team and coaches in the process. He enters Sunday’s home game against the AFC South leader Jacksonville as the NFL’s second-leading passer with 2,962 yards to go along with 17 touchdown passes and just five interceptions.
But even bigger is he is leading the Texans to wins. They are riding a three-game winning streak after the 21-16 victory over the Cardinals to improve to 6-4 on the season, which is good enough for second place in the AFC South and if the playoffs were to begin today, they would be in.
Not bad for a team that hadn’t won more than four games in a season since 2019.
“With C.J. [Stroud], I think the thing that impresses me the most is just how the guys in the locker room – how he’s won the locker room and the guys play for him,” first-year Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said to the Defender. “Guys truly believe in C.J. He exudes confidence, and our entire team is confident I think because of what C.J. has done.”
Ready to lead
That’s because of the work they’ve seen him put in since the day he stepped into Houston fresh off Ohio State’s campus. The charismatic and God-fearing youngster has been about nothing but his business.
“You could tell when he first came in, he had the ‘It Factor’ about him,” Texans’ third-year receiver Nico Collins said to the Defender. “There were no worries about him, he wasn’t nervous. He was normal.
“He just came in straight to it. He’s ready to lead. It shows every week. Every week, he is continuing to get better and better.”
His calm and confidence have carried over to the playing field, where Stroud has been the epitome of cool under pressure. Despite playing with a makeshift offensive line, a still-developing rushing attack and a receiving corp that is without a legit star, Stroud has found ways to make plays.
During a two-week stretch, he led the Texans on back-to-back game-winning drives in the waning moments against Tampa Bay and Cincinnati. With 46 seconds and two timeouts remaining against Tampa Bay, Stroud guided the offense downfield and hit rookie receiver Tank Dell with a 15-yard TD pass with six seconds left on the clock to seal the 39-37 win over the Buccaneers.
The 22-year-old Stroud followed that win up with another game-winning drive in which he took the offense down the field in the final 93 seconds to set up Matt Ammendola’s 38-yard field goal as time expired in the 30-27 victory on the Bengals.
“It’s very calming when you know you have a great quarterback in C.J., a guy who is ready for the moment and a guy who really believes in himself and his teammates,” said Texans safety Jalen Pitre. “When it’s a tie game or even if we are down going into the last part of the game, we know that we have a great quarterback and great offense that wins games. It’s very encouraging, and man I’m glad they are all on my team. They are some ballers. They’ve saved us two times.”
His teammates say they have no problem following his lead, even as a rookie who is still learning, as was evident when he threw a season-high three interceptions during the win over Arizona.
“That’s real, but you’ve just got to know, you’re the quarterback and you are supposed to lead this team,” Collins said. “Age don’t matter no more. You are QB1, let’s go. You run this operation, right now.
“We are going to have his back, and he knows it. I feel like for him, it’s a matter of letting him build his confidence and show him that we trust in him.
“For him it’s going to continue to slow down and continue to grow and continue to chase greatness.”
Remaining calm through the noise
Collins has continued to be impressed.
“It’s amazing to see,” Collins said. “I’m not going to lie, coming from a first-year quarterback, he’s got it. It’s scary what else he can do with us. It’s left out there, dude has got it.”
Just like that, Stroud has become the talk of the NFL, so much so it seems NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year is likely already his. The jersey he wore in the record-setting game against Tampa Bay has landed in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
But what has been most amazing is how Stroud has managed to stay calm through the noise and chaos that is engulfing him on and off the field.
“For me, it’s just a lot of prayer and knowing that God wouldn’t put anything on me that I can’t handle,” Stroud said. “I don’t deserve his grace and his mercy, but he still gives it to me, and I love him for that. It’s not about me, it’s about him and his glory. I think that’s where it comes from. I think God made me like that. I have been through a lot not only in football, but things that made me kind of chill when things get crazy. I thank God for putting that in me because that’s something you need when you play this position in this league.”
