C.J. Stroud solidified himself as the Offensive Rookie of the Year favorite with an epic Week 9 performance. Another huge game has the NFL world suddenly thinking bigger.
The first-year quarterback led the Houston Texans to a 30-27 win over the Cincinnati Bengals with 356 passing yards, a passing touchdown, and a rushing touchdown. Stroud has started his career by accounting for 17 touchdowns with just one interception for the 5-4 Texans, who won three games last season.
Rookie of the Year should be in the bag if Stroud stays healthy and effective, but has the 22-year-old played his way into a wide-open MVP conversation? Adam Schefter, Richard Sherman, Emmanuel Acho, and Ryan Clark all said it’s time to consider Stroud a serious candidate.
CJ Stroud has entered the MVP conversation.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 12, 2023
CJ Stroud is going to work himself into the MVP conversation! This team was supposed to be a few years away from contending! He is elevating those around him. Noah Brown 6 Rec. 150yards.
— Richard Sherman (@RSherman_25) November 12, 2023
Demeco Ryans should be front runner for coach of the year.
CJ Stroud should be firmly in the MVP conversation.
— Emmanuel Acho (@EmmanuelAcho) November 12, 2023
If you’re having MVP conversations and the name Stroud isn’t a part of them then you’re talking to people who don’t know a thing about great QB play!
— Ryan Clark (@Realrclark25) November 12, 2023
At first glance, shoving Stroud into the MVP picture feels like a prisoner-of-the-moment reaction to two dramatic wins. But perhaps it’s not so crazy.
Stroud entered Sunday’s game fourth in quarterback rating behind Tua Tagovailoa, Brock Purdy, and the injured Kirk Cousins. He started the week third in yards per attempt behind Tagovailoa and Purdy, who threw three touchdowns in a bounce-back outing Sunday for the San Francisco 49ers.
Yet those two passers play on stacked offenses, so the perceived “system quarterback” label could cost them votes.
Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts remain top contenders despite each Super Bowl quarterback posting better numbers in 2022. Lamar Jackson was surging into the conversation, but he threw two picks in a last-second loss to the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.
Nobody is running away with the race, so Stroud could cement himself as a serious candidate by leading Houston to an unlikely playoff appearance.
Before Week 10, Stroud wasn’t among the top-12 MVP candidates at most sportsbooks. He was listed behind the likes of Trevor Lawrence, Jared Goff, and Dak Prescott at +6000 on FanDuel and +8000 on PointsBet.
Those odds will get far shorter after another strong showing from Stroud, who has at least played his way into the discussion.