C.J. Stroud had a breakout season in 2023 en route to revitalizing the Houston Texans. That’s just a fact and no one can dispute the evidence.
Is he already a top-five passer in the league? Well, this is where opinions often outweigh the numbers and recency bias floods the mind of those wanting to think they know everything.
Stroud, who became the fifth rookie passer in league history to throw for 4,000-plus yards, still is an anomaly. One season isn’t even a sure-fire baseline to determine what direction any gunslinger is headed, let alone a second-year standout who will go toe-to-toe with Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Jordan Love, Dak Prescott, and Trevor Lawrence in the same season.
What version of Stroud returns to NRG Stadium in Year 2? Is it the clone of Justin Herbert, who posted career-highs in passing yards (5,014), touchdowns (38), and yards per game (268)? Could Stroud be more like Cam Netwon, another offensive rookie of the year who regressed once defenses were able to study the tape?
TexansWire compiled the rankings of six websites — plus our own opinions — to determine a definitive quarterback ranking entering the 2024 season. Here are the results that determined Stroud’s stance entering the 2024 campaign.
Here are the links to the websites below for the rankings: