Don't let the C.J. Stroud haters hear this.
C.J. Stroud had a roller-coaster season for the Houston Texans in 2024. It was a frustrating development following a rookie campaign that saw him win the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award.
Even with the offensive struggles, he still led the team to a 10-7 record and its consecutive playoff berth. Houston even knocked off the Los Angeles Chargers in the first round, to make it to the AFC Divisional Round for the second year.
Despite that, Stroud has been criticized for failing to perform against top-tier teams like the Kansas City Chiefs. The offensive line has been a major concern, which is being addressed this offseason, but Stroud made some inexcusable mistakes.
That doesn't mean he's a bad player, however. In fact, even Super Bowl-winning quarterback Matthew Stafford is a fan of Stroud.
While speaking with Travis and Jason Kelce on New Heights, Stafford said he likes watching Stroud play the game. He mentioned the injuries around him as a reason for their struggles, while Jason Kelce added the O-line concerns. Then, Stafford said he gets revitalized when he watches players like Stroud.
"I like watching the young guys play because it kinda like revitalizes me, invigorates me a little bit. Like golly, these guys are just playing carefree ripping it." — Stafford on Texans QB C.J. Stroud.
Stafford knows about being held back by the talent around him. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft spent 12 years with the Detroit Lions and went 74-90-1. He was traded to the Los Angeles Rams in 2021 and won a Super Bowl in his first season with them.
In four years, he's led them to a 34-23 record and they've won five playoff games. In Detroit, they were 0-3 in the postseason.
Houston is close, especially with their defense. If they can get the offensive line corrected, they could go on a run.
Star QB Unveils Massive Revelation on Texans' C.J. Stroud
Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud definitely absorbed some harsh criticism this past season, as he regressed considerably after a historically great rookie campaign.
But just because Stroud had a bit of a sophomore slump does not mean anyone should be throwing in the towel on him. Just ask Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, who apparently loves watching Stroud play.
During an appearance on the New Heights podcast, Stafford revealed that watching Stroud actually strengthens him.
"I like watching the young guys play because it kind of like revitalizes me, invigorates me a little bit. Like golly, these guys are just playing carefree ripping it," Stafford said, specifically referring to Stroud.
Stafford himself has once heck of a track record, as he led the Rams to a Super Bowl during the 2021-22 campaign and has long been one of the best signal-callers in football.
Now, at the ripe age of 37, he evidently flips on Stroud highlights whenever he is looking for some inspiration.
Stroud threw for 3,727 yards, 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while completing 63.2 percent of his passes and posting a passer rating of 87 in 2024. That followed an incredible debut season in which he totaled 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns and five picks while registering a 100.8 passer rating.
Of course, there were a whole lot of variables at play that caused Stroud to have a disappointing second year, with injuries and poor offensive line performance being chief among them.
We'll see if the 23-year-old is able to bounce back in 2025.
