C.J. Stroud Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Insider suggests Texans rookie QB C.J. Stroud has entered MVP conversation

By Clark Dalton | Last updated 11/6/23

After a record-breaking performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, some believe Houston Texans rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud has entered the MVP conversation.

"Why not?" wrote ESPN NFL reporter Dan Graziano. "If the Texans can finish this season with a winning record and Stroud is playing like this, he's definitely going to show up on some MVP ballots."

Not to discredit Stroud, but it's unlikely he'll win MVP. Per Statmuse, Hall of Famer Jim Brown is the only player to win the award during his rookie season (1957). Also, oddschecker gives Stroud the 16th-best MVP odds (+13000).

None of this should detract from his remarkable performance against Tampa Bay. In the 39-37 victory, he set a rookie record for passing yards (470) and engineered a six-play, 75-yard drive with 46 seconds left in the fourth quarter for the winning TD.

.@CJ7STROUD put up the most passing yards by a rookie in a game in NFL history on Sunday ‍

C.J. Stroud — 470 YDS
Andrew Luck — 433 YDS
Cam Newton — 432 YDS
Ryan Tannehill — 431 YDS pic.twitter.com/Hm7vZcFYmB
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) November 6, 2023

The second overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft has smashed expectations this season. The former Ohio State Buckeye has completed 62 percent of his passes for 2,270 yards, 14 TDs, one interception and an above-average 62.3 QBR. Also, the Texans (4-4) are second in the AFC South and still in the playoff hunt.

"More importantly, the first half of his rookie season has shown that Stroud belongs in the NFL — it's not too big for him," wrote Graziano. "It appears so far that the Texans hit a home run with the No. 2 pick in this year's draft, and as they build up the roster around him in the coming years, it's fun to imagine what's possible."

Stroud is already the face of the franchise. If the Texans successfully build around him, the organization will have a bright future.

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