As we’ve learned on more than one occasion over the years, progression in the NFL is not linear. Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud could prove to be a good example of this. Following a rookie season which was deemed by many as one of the best in league history, Stroud took a step backward during year two, both in terms of production and as we learned recently, perception around the NFL.
After it was revealed that Stroud was bumped off of ESPN’s list of the NFL’s ten best quarterbacks following their annual survey of some of the league’s coaches, executives and scouts, ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky didn’t mince words about Stroud’s standing among his peers.
“C.J. Stroud not being on the list is silly, dumb, idiotic,” Orlovsky replied during First Take when asked about his biggest gripe with the list. “Last year with a bottom five offensive line, he lost his number one, number two, number three receivers for significant stretches, 63 percent completion percentage, 3,800 yards, and I think he had 20 touchdowns.”
Orlovsky’s counterpart, Kevin Clark, went on to note that in 2024, no quarterback was pressured more often on throws more than 15 yards downfield than Stroud was, accounting for why Houston’s second-year superstar’s numbers, particularly on deep throws, dipped from his first season to his second.
Texans Banking on Improved Supporting Cast for CJ Stroud
With the exception of Stroud, dynamic wideout Nico Collins and bell-cow running back Joe Mixon, much of the Texans offense will look different in 2025. With the exception of Tytus Howard, four new faces are expected to start on the offensive line. It’s hard to imagine the unit as a whole performing worse than it did last year.
With Stefon Diggs in New England and Tank Dell likely sidelined for the entire season after suffering a major knee injury late in the season, Christian Kirk and rookie Jayden Higgins are expected to settle in as Stroud’s second and third most targeted pass-catchers.
But Houston’s most noteworthy offseason addition may not be anyone protecting CJ Stroud, or anyone Stroud will be dropping dimes to throughout the season. It may end up being new offensive coordinator Nick Caley.
C.J. Stroud Has ‘Blind Trust’ in Nick Caley
Not long into their working relationship, Stroud expressed a good amount of optimism in the partnership he’s forged with the former Los Angeles Rams pass game coordinator.
“He is all about me taking full ownership, running the show, and that’s what I want,” Stroud told reporters back on April 22. “So, it’s really been really cool just to see that he’s bought into me and he doesn’t really know me well yet. He talked about today having blind trust and I have a lot of trust in him already. Just how he talks and how he presents in the room is really cool to see.”
Likewise, Caley has expressed nothing but approval for his new quarterback, stating on May 30 that Stroud has been “locked in every step of the way” throughout the offseason.
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