C.J.
Stroud

When they had the second overall pick in 2023, the Texans wanted a quarterback who would take the franchise on an upward trajectory. They nailed it. Stroud became that pick and QB1 in Houston, debuting as a Pro Bowl honoree and taking the team to the postseason in each of his first two seasons.

CJ ran away with NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2023, garnering 48 of 50 first-place votes after guiding the Texans to the playoffs and showing poise beyond his years. As a 22-year-old, Stroud became the youngest player to lead the NFL in TD-to-INT ratio at 23-to-5. His 4,108 passing yards were the third-most by a first-year quarterback.

Stroud didn't need to put up gaudy numbers to lead the Texans to a 41-21 rout of the Patriots in Week 6 of 2024. Efficiently getting the job done, he completed 64.5 percent of his passes for 192 yards. Three of those connections put six points on the board and fueled Houston's win.

As a rookie in 2023, Stroud pushed the Texans to their first playoff win since the 2019 season. Not done there, he repeated the feat the following campaign. Facing the Chargers in the wild-card round on Jan. 11, 2025, the QB logged 282 yards and a touchdown in Houston's 32-12 victory over the Chargers.

CJ continued to impress early in his third NFL season. He lifted the Texans to a 44-10 victory in Baltimore on October 5, 2025. Stroud diced up the Ravens to the tune of 244 aerial yards. He threw for four touchdowns and completed 23-of-27 passes.

Stroud ran his second annual youth football camp in the Houston area in 2024 and strived to be the hero those kids admire. "Like Snoop Dogg said: 'You're not only going to see me on TV, but you can touch me and be able to be around me and feel my energy,'" he said about being there for the youngsters.

Stroud is a major reason for Houston's revival. It's not just him, the quarterback says. He's right. But it's also him. He's the one who came from where we come from. He said in another playoff push in 2024, "A lot of the younger players on this team, we come from winning programs in college."

As he got ready for Year 3, Stroud had already established himself as one of the game's premier young quarterbacks. Pro Football Focus knows what's up. The website ranked the Texans star No. 12 on its list of the top 25 talents under 25 in 2025, which was the second-highest spot for a quarterback.

Claim the Texans nearly had a perfect game in a 44-10 rout of the Ravens on October 5, 2025, scoring on all eight possessions that Stroud led. He completed 23 of 27 attempts for 244 yards and four TDs to turn it into a laugher. His 143.9 passer rating was the best mark of his career, topped only by a 2023 win card win against the Browns.

C.J. earned Elite MVP honors at Ohio State and became No. 2 overall draft pick. His performance standards have not dropped for college football's top QB seasons.

Stroud Mania continued to run wild in his second NFL season. The league released a list of the top 10 selling jerseys from April-October of 2024, and the Texans\' popular quarterback led the list. No. 1 overall draft pick Caleb Williams took second and perennial favorite Patrick Mahomes II finished third.

Stroud Mania continued to run wild in his second NFL season. The league released a list of the top 10 selling jerseys from April-October of 2024, and the Texans' popular quarterback led the list. No. 1 overall draft pick Caleb Williams took second and perennial favorite Patrick Mahomes II finished third.

At 22 years old in 2023, Stroud became the youngest quarterback in Texans history to throw for 4,000 yards in a season. (Deshaun Watson was 23 when he racked up 4,165 yards in 2018.) Stroud hit the benchmark thanks to massive performances against Tampa Bay (470 yards), Indianapolis (384) and Cincinnati (356).

Texans safety Jalen Pitre loves having Stroud as his quarterback. "C.J. is wise beyond his years," Pitre said on GMFB. "He's a guy that knows the game of football. He's not stuck in his ways either; he's always looking to learn new things. The biggest thing I take from him day to day is that he's a competitor."

With Rams receiver Puka Nacua setting records, Stroud was no shoo-in on the awards circuit despite his incredible 2023 debut. That only made his Pro Football Writers of America Offensive Rookie of the Year award all the sweeter. The Houston quarterback claimed the honor after pacing the league with 273.9 passing yards per game.