Former MVP compares Texans' Stroud, Panthers' Young

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud. Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Former MVP compares Texans' C.J. Stroud, Panthers' Bryce Young

By Zac Wassink | Last updated 1/15/24

One-time Most Valuable Player and current CBS Sports NFL analyst Boomer Esiason didn't dance around the issue while comparing Houston Texans rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud to Carolina Panthers first-year signal-caller Bryce Young after Stroud guided the Texans to an impressive 45-14 wild-card playoff victory over the Cleveland Browns on Saturday.

"When you see C.J. Stroud on the field — and this still drives me crazy about Carolina, I don't know what the hell they were looking at physically — but Stroud looks like he belongs," Esiason explained during Monday's edition of the WFAN "Boomer and Gio" program, as shared by Lou DiPietro of Audacy. "When you watch Bryce Young play in Carolina, this kid looks like he should still be in high school, or playing behind the best offensive line in college at Alabama because he is not physically ready to play in the NFL."

Concerns related to the fact that Young measured at 5-foot-10 1/8 and weighed 204 pounds at last year's scouting combine hung over him before and after the Panthers made him the first pick of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Houston, meanwhile, grabbed Stroud with the draft's second choice and landed a young man who seems on track to claim Offensive Rookie of the Year honors next month.

According to ESPN stats, Stroud finished his first regular season ranked sixth in the NFL among qualified players with a 100.8 passer rating, 15th with a 57.5 adjusted QBR and first with 273.9 passing yards per game.

To compare, Young was 34th with a 73.7 passer rating, 29th with a 33.3 adjusted QBR and 29th with an average of 179.8 passing yards per contest.

Against what was, statistically speaking, the NFL's leader in total defense, Stroud completed 16-of-21 pass attempts for 274 yards and three touchdowns on Saturday. He and his Texans will participate in at least one more playoff game this coming Saturday, while Panthers owner David Tepper may find himself wondering what could have been for his franchise long after the ongoing postseason tournament concludes.

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