CJ Stroud made a name for himself during his rookie year while playing for the Houston Texans. After shaking off the early jitters, the second-overall pick bounced back and let the Texans to the playoffs for the first time since 2019.
Stroud completed 319 passes for 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns, and only five interceptions. The Texans reached the Divisional Playoff round after beating the Cleveland Browns in the wild card. However, the #1 seed Baltimore Ravens got the better of them. Nevertheless, the 22-year-old took home the Offensive Rookie of the Year award and finished in the top 10 for the league MVP.
It was a great start for Stroud in the NFL and ESPN’s Ryan Clark backed the second-year starter to repeat last season’s success. His progress is eye-catching and new teammate Stefon Diggs revealed he has the ‘it’ factor that separates elites from the rest.
FOX Sports’ Nick Wright enlisted Stroud as one of the opponents that can go toe to toe with 2x time NFL and 3x Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes . However, that doesn’t make him equal to the 28-year-old in the eyes of former Kansas City Chiefs star corner L’Jarius Sneed.
Sneed, who won two rings playing with Mahomes at Arrowhead, completely brushed aside the idea if anyone is even close to the Chiefs quarterback.
He's [CJ Stroud] not like Pat [Patrick Mahomes]... He got some game... but I'm not worried about it . L’Jarius Sneed said while appearing on Ryan Clark’s The Pivot podcast
Sneed left the Chiefs in the off-season after they failed to meet his demands. He eventually signed a four-year $76.4 million deal with the Tennessee Titans.
What are the odds for CJ Stroud to win NFL MVP in 2025?
Stroud can prove Sneed wrong in the upcoming season by virtue of a deep playoff run or even fight for the Super Bowl. It will be a tough ask because Mahomes and the Chiefs are going for the three-peat after winning consecutive Lombardis.
The Week 1 fixtures are around the corner, but the bookmakers are working overtime to create the favorites for the NFL’s Most Valuable Player award. According to Sports Illustrated and DraftKings Network, Texans quarterback CJ Stroud is the second favorite behind Patrick Mahomes for the MVP title in 2025.
