Houston Texans' C.J. Stroud Could Have Huge Bounce Back Season Ahead

It was a bit of an up-and-down season for the Houston Texans' offense and quarterback C.J. Stroud for the 2024 season.

Whether you look at Stroud's individual inconsistencies and regression from his rookie season, the lapses faces on the Texans' line in front of their star quarterback, or even the assortment of injuries Houston faced in their wide receiver room from the beginning to end of the year, there wasn't a lot going this team's way offensively.

However, when looking ahead to Stroud's outlook for year three in the mix of the Texans, the stage could be set for a major bounce-back campaign ahead.

CBS Sports' Jared Dubin recently outlined nine of the NFL's biggest stars who could be on the verge of a bounce-back season in 2025, where at the very top of the list resides Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud.

"Stroud put together one of the best rookie seasons any quarterback has ever had," Dubin wrote. "As the supporting cast atrophied around him, Stroud took a significant step backward in Year 2. He dropped down to 7.0 yards per attempt, saw his interception rate more than double, had his yards-per-game average dip by over 50 yards and checked in 28th in EPA per dropback, posting a negative average. A change in offensive coordinator from Bobby Slowik to Nick Caley, plus investments in the offensive line and receiving corps, provide some home for a bounceback in 2025."

After a season in which Stroud's supporting cast was both questionable and injured, it was a tough situation for any quarterback to endure, and especially for one entering only the sophomore year of their NFL career.

But now in 2025, the landscape is a whole lot different. Not only is the playcalling on the sidelines totally refreshed with new offensive coordinator Nick Caley leading the charge, but a bundle of new impact playmakers have been added together on both the front lines and at receiver to give Stroud a breath of fresh air compared to last season.

Between the Texans' rookie and veteran additions, this offense has the tools to not only reach their third-straight AFC South title, but also lift Stroud to even higher heights of production from what we saw during his rookie campaign. Time will tell if it all ends up coming together.