Yardbarker
x
Why Texans QB C.J. Stroud wants to be faster
Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud. Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Why Texans QB C.J. Stroud wants to be faster after up-and-down second pro season

Last summer, some analysts viewed Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud as a potential Most Valuable Player Award candidate after the second pick of the 2023 NFL Draft ran away with Offensive Rookie of the Year Award honors. 

While Stroud helped the Texans claim the division title for the second straight season, he seemingly regressed last fall amid a so-called sophomore slump. 

For a piece published on Monday, ESPN's DJ Bien-Aime explained why Stroud spent portions of the offseason working on getting faster and stronger ahead of training camp. 

"Part of the issue last season was Stroud taking too many hits," Bien-Aime wrote. "...In 2024, he was sacked 52 times, second-most in the NFL, and was pressured on 38.6% of his dropbacks (second-most), according to Next Gen Stats. Stroud hit 19.7 mph in Week 11 against the Dallas Cowboys on a 20-yard scramble, 28th highest for quarterback scrambles in 2024, according to Next Gen Stats. Also, Stroud ranked 16th in scramble rushing yards (240) in 2024."

Per Pro Football Reference, Stroud ended the 2023 regular season ranked first in the NFL among qualified players with 273.9 passing yards per game and sixth with a 100.8 passer rating. He took 38 sacks over 15 games, and he recorded 23 touchdown passes with just five interceptions. 

To compare, he finished Week 18 of this past campaign ranked 19th in the league among qualified quarterbacks with an average of 219.2 passing yards per contest, 25th with an 87.0 passer rating and tied for 15th with 20 passing touchdowns. Over 17 games, he tallied 12 interceptions.

That said, a different ESPN piece mentioned that Houston receivers Nico Collins, Tank Dell and Stefon Diggs missed a combined 19 games because of injuries. Back on July 10, Jacob Robinson of The Athletic pointed out that the Texans seemingly won't have "a capable offensive line" protecting Stroud for the second straight year. 

"Last season, Stroud had 99 dropbacks that turned into scrambles (seventh-most), an increase from 2023 when he had 83 (eighth-most)," Bien-Aime added. "Stroud's completion percentage during scramble plays improved from 32% in his rookie year to 49.1% last season, but he saw an uptick in turnovers on such plays. In 2023, he had three touchdowns and no interceptions. In comparison to Year 2, where he had four touchdowns but threw three interceptions."

League executives, coaches and scouts recently surveyed by ESPN did not rank Stroud among the top 10 players at the position ahead of the upcoming season. One NFL quarterbacks coach told ESPN that it can "affect your confidence (as a signal-caller) when the protection and the playcalling around you isn't great." 

Former Los Angeles Rams tight ends coach and pass game coordinator Nick Caley is now Stroud's offensive coordinator and will be tasked with getting the 23-year-old where many thought he'd already be at this stage of his development. 

Zac Wassink

Zac Wassink is a longtime sports news writer and PFWA member who began his career in 2006 and has had his work featured on Yardbarker, MSN, Yahoo Sports and Bleacher Report. He is also a football and futbol aficionado who is probably yelling about Tottenham Hotspur at the moment and who chanted for Matt Harvey to start the ninth inning of Game 5 of the 2015 World Series at Citi Field. You can find him on X at @ZacWassink

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!