To say that former Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud has had an excellent rookie season with the Houston Texans would be putting it mildly. Stroud has been all that was promised and more, delivering an AFC South title to H-Town in a debut season that has surpassed every expectation. He’s broken a handful of records, most of which pitted him against rookies of years past. To put Stroud’s season in perspective, though, it may be necessary to compare his 2023 campaign with some of the most famous in the history of the sport.
Throwing for 264 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 18, Stroud became just the third player in league history to lead the league in passing yards per game (273.9) and touchdown/interception ratio (4.6) in the same season. The other two? Tom Brady in 2007 and San Francisco 49ers legend Joe Montana in 1989. Both went on to be named First-Team All-Pro while winning MVP and Offensive Player of the Year. And both are arguably the two best quarterbacks in the history of the NFL. For all of Stroud’s successes, he’ll have to fall back on Offensive Rookie of the Year if he wants any hardware. The other two awards, and an All-Pro selection, are likely out of reach. Even so, Houston has every reason to cherish its quarterback. He may not have been as dominant as the two passers once considered the greatest of all time, but they share many of the same traits.
