Rookie NFL quarterbacks drafted as top picks often face skepticism because they lack experience playing at the professional level. The transition from college to the NFL is known to be challenging due to the faster pace and complexity of the game, requiring more time to adjust to advanced defensive schemes and higher competition levels. Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud has had no problem excelling in his first NFL season helping his team clinch a playoff berth under first-year head coach DeMeco Ryans.
This season, Stroud has solidified his position as a top candidate for the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award. In his debut regular season, Stroud threw for the third-highest number of yards among rookie quarterbacks in NFL history. He completed 319 passes out of 499 attempts, totaling 4,108 yards and scoring 23 touchdowns, with just five interceptions. The only rookies with more passing yards in their first NFL season were Andrew Luck in 2012 (4,374 yards) and Justin Herbert in 2020 (4,336 yards).
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Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans has been impressed by Stroud’s performance throughout the year and raved about what makes him special during his post-game press conference after facing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this season.
“I think accuracy is something you either have or you don’t, [Stroud] has it,” Ryans said. “We’re thankful that he has it. You know you can try to coach it as much as you want to but it has to be that natural, right throwing ability, and guys who have that natural ability to throw the football which [Stroud] has, he does a really good job of putting the ball exactly where it needs to be.”
Ryans also commented on how Stroud has earned the trust of his teammates throughout the season.
“I think trust is earned and [Stroud] has earned that trust by showing it on the practice field, proving it to his teammates and you build that trust over time,” Ryans said. “[Stroud] has built that trust amongst his teammates, amongst the coaching staff that we can put a little bit more on him.”
The Rancho Cucamonga native spent his collegiate career at Ohio State University. During his time as the starting quarterback for Ohio State in two seasons, Stroud successfully threw passes with a completion rate of 69.3 percent. He totaled for 8,123 passing yards, 85 touchdowns, and only had 12 interceptions. Additionally, he was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy twice.
