Each offseason, veteran NFL reporter Mike Sando compiles his annual quarterback tiers — a survey of 50 executives, scouts and coaches around the NFL that provides fans an accurate picture of how signal-callers around the league are viewed by the people whose opinions are the most well-informed. Each of the last two years, the placement of Houston Texans star CJ Stroud has been a notable topic of conversation.
In the 2025 edition of the poll, Stroud’s ranking predictably took a hit. After receiving 12 ‘Tier 1’ votes in 2024 — ‘Tier 1’ is the highest ranking a player could receive, representative of a quarterback who “has no holes in his game” and “can carry his team each week” — Stroud only got one in 2025. Accordingly, his ‘Tier 2’ and ‘Tier 3’ votes both increased as well.
But even still, Stroud finished tied for 9th in the survey, deadlocked with reigning Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts, and just ahead of fellow Tier 2 quarterbacks Baker Mayfield, Dak Prescott, Jordan Love and Brock Purdy. And even though Stroud’s ranking dropped, some of the evaluations Sando’s annual poll make it clear that despite a sophomore season viewed by most as a letdown, the Texans QB is still held in high regard around the NFL.
What Are Coaches and Execs Saying About CJ Stroud?
Stroud suffered the fifth-largest year-over-year fall in average vote in the 2025 poll, but he’s still solidly a Tier 2 quarterback, which Sando describes as “a quarterback that can carry his team sometimes but not as consistently. He can handle pure-passing situations in doses and/or possesses other dimensions that are special enough to elevate him above Tier 3. He has a hole or two in his game.”
This is a fairly accurate depiction of where Stroud is at as he enters his third NFL season. And it’s reflected in some of the feedback Sando received on the 23-year-old quarterback.
“He can carry the team,” one rival defensive coordinator said of Stroud. “He is special in my eyes because he can throw from the pocket, he can throw off-schedule, he has been really good with the game on the line.”
Other coaches made it clear that Stroud’s struggles in 2024 were more representative of his situation in Houston than anything else.
“Everybody wants to downgrade C.J.,” another defensive coordinator said. “His No. 1 receiver was out, the line did not play great, the run game wasn’t there like it should have been.”
“I read an article, they said it’s time for him to take the next step,” an offensive coach added. “What is the next step? It’s time for his team to take the next step. He’s pretty damn productive.”
Even in a down season, Stroud did produce at a fairly high level in 2024. He threw for over 3,700 yards and 20 touchdowns, all while his offensive line was regularly collapsing in front of him. He led the Texans to a 10-7 record, good enough for their second straight AFC South title, and advanced to the Divisional Round of the Playoffs once again.
Fortunately for Stroud, the Texans spent the offseason looking to make sure the same issues that plagued their quarterback during the 2024 season wouldn’t pop up once again in 2025. The offensive line features multiple new faces. Two draft picks were spent on wide receivers, adding depth to a room that has been depleted by injuries each of the last two seasons. Nick Caley replaces Bobby Slowik as offensive coordinator.
There’s no telling if this will be enough to return Stroud to a place where he’s once again flirting with being seen as a ‘Tier 1’ quarterback. But it’s hard to imagine the situation getting much worse than it was last year.
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