Yes, C.J. Stroud is that guy.
On Saturday night, the Houston Texans quarterback inserted his name as the answer to the most important question posed to every team looking to select a quarterback in the NFL Draft:
Question: “What kind of quarterback are you looking for?”
Answer: “We want the next C.J. Stroud.”
If there were ever any doubts about whether Stroud is a next-level NFL quarterback, he put those to rest with a virtuoso performance in a dominant 45-14 wild-card victory over the Cleveland Browns.
C.J. Stroud, the No. 2 overall pick in the draft last April, made the Browns’ No. 1 pass defense look ordinary, and his counterpart Joe Flacco look every bit of his 38 years by comparison.
It wasn’t so much that he had one great game throwing the football. Stroud (16-of-21 passing, 274 yards and three TD passes) picked the Browns apart with precision, confidence and ease, in a manner reminiscent of the all-time greats. Like someone who has a Super Bowl title or two in his future.
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C.J. Stroud delivers payback for earlier loss
The last time the Browns faced the Texans in their 36-22 Week 16 victory, Houston was forced to use Davis Mills and Case Keenum because Stroud was in concussion protocol. The Browns bullied the Texans into submission, taking a 36-7 lead at one point.
On Saturday, though, Houston brought in the bigger bully. Stroud delivered the same treatment to the Browns, only worse. His decisive blows — combined with two defensive haymakers in the form of pick-six TDs off Flacco — finished Cleveland permanently for the season.
Stroud’s game was yet another record-setting performance in a season full of them. He broke the rookie record for passing yards by halftime in a playoff game (236) and tied another for most TD passes with three.
Those achievements were just the latest additions to the treasure trove of records he’s accumulated during one of the greatest rookie seasons in NFL history.
Earlier in the season, Stroud announced his presence with authority in setting new rookie marks for passing yards in a single game and passing attempts to start a career without an interception.
He could have achieved even more records if he hadn’t suffered a concussion that sidelined him for two games. Certainly, he would have broken Andrew Luck’s all-time rookie record for yards in a season.
None of that matters anymore. As he showed against the Browns, Stroud is pursuing bigger prizes, and he’s elevating the Texans right along with him.
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C.J. Stroud looks like he could be special
If anything, he’s clearly demonstrated the impact a franchise quarterback can have, especially when your team goes from 3-13-1 without you the season before, to the divisional playoff round the following season with you leading the way. True franchise quarterbacks are difference-makers, and Stroud is the current poster boy.
If you’re wondering what more Stroud could possibly do, consider this: In the last 50 seasons, there have been only three quarterbacks who have led the NFL in passing yards per game and passing TDs -to-interception ratio in a single season. The three are Joe Montana in 1989, Tom Brady in 2007, and C.J. Stroud in 2023.
Whenever you are mentioned alongside Montana and Brady, the two greatest quarterbacks ever, you’re not just good; you’re on a different level.
Lamar Jackson might be this season’s MVP, and Patrick Mahomes might be the most revered quarterback, with two MVPs and two Super Bowl rings.
But C.J. Stroud is that guy. He’s not just “next.” He’s now.