C.J. Stroud amongst NFL Top players of 2024: What Texans QB must avoid in Year 2

The Houston Texans found their franchise quarterback in the 2023 NFL Draft with the selection of C.J. Stroud.  It was quite a year for the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, who shined throughout his rookie season, quickly establishing himself as one of the top quarterbacks in the league.  It was a rookie performance that has landed him a No. 20 ranking on the NFL.com “Top 100 Players of 2024” list.

Selected with the No. 2 overall pick in the draft, the Ohio State product didn’t disappoint in his debut season with the Texans.  Completing 63.9 percent of his passes, Stroud threw for 4,108 yards with 23 touchdowns and 5 interceptions.  It wasn’t just the numbers that was impressive, it was his maturity in the pocket as a rookie and how he led the Texans’ offense with his ability to make the big play with his arm at the right time. 

C.J. Stroud already one of the best players in the NFL

The question now going into year 2 of his NFL career is whether Stroud can be even better in leading a team with higher expectations heading into the 2024 NFL season.

Already seen as one of the top young QB’s in the league, Stroud’s ranking on the list comes with no surprise.  Is it too high? NFL.com Digital Content Editor Michael Baca justifies why he believes Stroud is amongst the top players in the NFL:

“A rookie season played wise beyond his years leads Stroud, 22, to becoming the youngest player in this year’s Top 100. His 273.9 passing yards per game and efficient 23-5 touchdown-interception ratio led the NFL, encapsulating Stroud’s great pocket poise, savvy decision-making and pinpoint accuracy. According to NFL Research, Stroud joined Tom Brady (2007) and Joe Montana (1989) as the only QBs to lead the NFL in passing yards per game and passing TD-INT ratio, which were MVP seasons for the Hall of Famers. Stroud has Houston stargazing after powering the young Texans to a , then becoming the youngest quarterback to start and  (surpassing Michael Vick), and wrapping it all up as the first player in franchise history to win .”

How Stroud could be even better in Year 2 of his NFL career

The expectations for Stroud and the Texans will be high in 2024.  With the addition of Stefon Diggs to the mix, the second-year quarterback will have a core of weapons to get the ball to.  Not only does he have one of the top wide receivers in the league to get the ball to, but he also has Tank Dell, Nico Collins and tight end Dalton Schultz to spread the ball around to.  The talent will both exciting and overwhelming so the challenge is for Stroud to make spread the ball around and not fall victim to the hype that will be surrounding the team.

As exciting as it will be to have Diggs in the mix, he does have a history of creating drama in the offense when he feels he is not getting the ball enough.  But, hopefully for the Texans, Diggs buys into what the Texans have growing around Stroud and helps the young quarterback get even better.

With a year under his belt, the confidence should grow, especially with the playmakers around him, but as offensive coordinator Bobby Slowick sees it, Year 2 will be the biggest challenge for Stroud as far as understanding the game even more.

"It is a really, really impactful year to me that really sets the trajectory for the rest of his career, and I think a lot of that is that you get to hammer the fundamentals," Slowik said, via Pro Football Talk. "Like last year, there was a lot going on. You have to hit fundamentals, you have to hit verbiage, you have to hit play calls, you have to hit protections, you have to hit all this stuff. You hit fundamentals to a degree, but you can only do so much.”

Most importantly, how will Stroud grow and bounce back when he struggles.  How will he react if there is any adversity?  Will he stay humble? 

In all, biggest thing to avoid for Stroud is complacency.  Success too early can be one of the things that sets a young quarterback back.