HOUSTON – Strong-armed Texans rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud, the second overall pick of the draft from Ohio State, has been named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month.
Behind three strong performances, the two-time Heisman Trophy finalist was recognized Thursday by the league.
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Stroud is the fifth offensive player in franchise history to win the award, joining Deshaun Watson in 2017, DeAndre Hopkins in 2013, Steve Slaton in 2008 and Domanick Williams in 2003.
#Texans rookie C.J. Stroud @CJ7STROUD the #NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month who ranks fifth in NFL with 906 passing yards to rank fifth in league and set NFl record with 121 passes to start career without an interception @KPRC2 https://t.co/gCGuauMy25 pic.twitter.com/GSI3x1wp5M
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) September 28, 2023
Stroud ranks fifth in the NFL with 906 passing yards and has become the first player in NFL history to throw 121 passes without an interception to start their career.
He has a 98.0 passer rating, a 64.5 completion percentage, and four touchdown passes. He ranks first in all major passing categories among rookie quarterbacks and has outperformed and been more durable than Carolina Panthers rookie quarterback Bryce Young, the top overall pick, and Indianapolis Colts rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson.
Every week, Stroud has grown as a player while maintaining a low-key approach.
Stroud, 21, passed for 384 yards against the Colts and had two touchdowns. It was the second-most passing yards by a Texans rookie since Watson’s 402 yards in 2017 and the second-most by a player 21 years or younger since the AFL-NFL merger, trailing just Matthew Stafford’s 422 yards. His passing yardage total only trails Cam Newton (1,012) and Justin Herbert (931) during a rookie quarterback’s first three games in NFL history.
His mark of no interceptions outranks Warren Moon (103), Case Keenum (102), his current teammate, and Tom Brady (101)
“Just routine, getting back to your routine,” Stroud said. “It’s not really rocket science, it’s what you make it your own. Everybody kind of has their own recipe for success and me personally, it’s just my routine and turning around every week for that team we’re playing and just working – working hard and being hard on yourself, being critical, being accountable on everybody – including yourself and holding everybody to a standard of what it takes to win and that’s what it takes.”.
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com.
