HOUSTON – Houston Texans rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud is making headlines across the league, but KPRC 2 sports reporter Chancellor Johnson has a bold prediction - Stroud has already earned the NFL’s Offense Rookie of the Year trophy before the season is even over.
The Explanation
“It’s time to have that conversation,” Johnson says. “We all know MVP stands for Most Valuable Player, and through 10 weeks of the season - C.J. Stroud has embodied every part of that acronym and then some.”
Here are the stats
- Stroud ranks second in the league in passing yards, which is better than Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen and Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert.
- Stroud is first in the league in touchdowns to interception ratio at 15-2.
- Stroud has the most 20-yard completions of anyone else in the league.
But Johnson says the stats aren’t enough and have to have some sort of narrative to go with them. “So how about a rookie QB who rips through records seemingly every week and has a Texans team competing for the AFC South title when a number of people thought that they may be back as one of the bottom teams in the league?”
The most important argument of them all, Johnson says - C.J. Stroud has the wins.
Stroud led the team to a road victory against the division-leading Jacksonville Jaguars in just his third start in the NFL. In October, he racked up wins against the Steelers and the Saints. Two weeks ago, Stroud only needed the amount of time it takes to warm up your food in the microwave to down Baker Mayfield and the Bucs. And he followed that up by outplaying the Super Bowl contending Cincinnati Bengals and quarterback Joe Burrow.
“Now, MVPs aren’t handed out in week 10, and there’s a lot of football to be played. But as for now, when you list the players of the game’s most prestigious award - make sure Coleridge Bernard the IV’s name is near the top,” Johnson notes.”
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