'Out of This World!' Case Keenum Reveals Hot Take About Texans QB C.J. Stroud
The story of Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud just keeps getting better. Few have seen it up close like backup quarterback Case Keenum.
Its most recent chapter was written on Saturday when the Texans hosted the Cleveland Browns and Stroud made his playoff debut. Like so many of the season’s biggest moments, he was unimpeachable.
Stroud completed 16 of his 21 passes for 274 yards and three scores against the best defense in football. He kept the ball clean, attacked downfield, and made plays from the pocket that most could only hope to.
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Stroud tied the rookie record for passing touchdowns in a playoff game. He threw one pass in the fourth quarter. Houston paved its way to the Divisional Round, winning 45-14.
He’s looked like a veteran from the jump and has the statistical showings to back his case as one of the best young quarterbacks in football. It’s a near certainty he wins Offensive Rookie of the Year, and yet, the praise may not be enough. At one point is he regarded as more than a great young quarterback?
Keenum has already seen enough.
“I think he’s gonna be the best of all time,” Keenum said. “Like, he truly has the ability to be that way. … I know, it’s very early to say that sort of stuff. But, man, he does some stuff that is just out of this world.”
Stroud finished his rookie season with 4,108 passing yards, 23 passing touchdowns, and five interceptions. He joined Tom Brady and Joe Montana as the only quarterbacks – not just rookies – to lead the league in touchdown/interception ratio and yards per game in the same season.
As the accolades mount and Houston keeps winning, Stroud begins to force the issue. What if he is already among the elite?
“On a good day, there’s maybe two or three that I want back, and on a bad day, there’s 10,” Keenum told The Athletic. “I can count on maybe one hand the things that he’s missed this entire year.”
The Ohio State product was a top prospect for a reason, but virtually nobody saw this kind of meteoric rise coming. A larger body of work will give the football world more evidence to draw its conclusions, but those closest to Stroud are willing to make the call.
The Texans have themselves a franchise quarterback. Save the debates for later and enjoy it while it lasts.
