Before the most recent NFL draft, many analysts were already writing off the former Ohio State star quarterback C.J Stroud. His low score on the Wonderlic test, a test to determine the cognitive ability of NFL draftees, scared many NFL teams, making them wonder if Stroud would be able to make the best decisions on the field. After his test came out and caused much controversy and hate from fans and analysts alike, Stroud famously claimed “I’m a football player, not a test taker” (NFL.com) and vowed to back up this statement with his play on the field.
Through the first 10 weeks of the NFL season, Stroud has done everything to prove his haters wrong both on and off the field, and it’s time we not only talk about him as this year’s Rookie of the Year but also when we’re talking about the Most Valuable Players of the season so far.
In his first 9 games as an NFL quarterback, Stroud has launched himself into the talks of the best young quarterback in the league. Stroud has led the Texans to an impressive 5-4 start to the season, their best start and their first winning record after week 1 since the 2019 season. During this stretch, Stroud has thrown 15 touchdown passes and has thrown for 2,626 yards, which is second in the league in total passing yards, while only throwing 2 interceptions.
Stroud has also been efficient in the running game, rushing for 86 yards and 2 touchdowns on the season. Stroud has helped revitalize a Texans offense that has been categorized as boring for the past 2 years and has helped rejuvenate the Texan fan base.
“Watching C.J Stroud play has made watching the Texans fun again,” Owen Hartley ‘24 said. “His playmaking skills and ability to unite the team has me excited for the future of the Texans.”
Stroud has also been vastly outperforming the other quarterbacks in his rookie class. Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young has been mediocre at best, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson got hurt early in the season, and Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis has not proved much in his limited time as starter. Stroud is even outperforming many veteran quarterbacks in the NFL as well, with Stroud having a better QBR than Justin Herbert and Josh Allen.
For these reasons, C.J Stroud deserves to win the AFC Rookie of the Year award. No one else deserves it over him. Stroud has taken a bottom-of-the-standings team to playoff contention in just one year, and no other rookie in the league is doing that. For this reason, Stroud should be in the talks for Most Valuable Player. If the award truly is given to the Most Valuable Player to a team, then Stroud is worthy of this award. If Stroud continues his stellar play, then he will be one of this season’s best quarterbacks.
