Houston Texans' C.J. Stroud Earns Notable Spot Among NFL’s Top QBs

Where does the Houston Texans' quarterback lie amongst the NFL's best?

Jun 10, 2025; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud speaks at a press conference after an NFL football minicamp at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images / Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

After an up and down second season commanding the Houston Texans' offense under center, there seems to be a wide range of opinions surrounding where C.J. Stroud stacks up amongst the top quarterbacks in the NFL, and whether his sophomore slump was just a one-off, or a sign of things to come.

However, in the eyes of CBS Sports' Jordan Dajani, it seems Stroud still has his place well within the mix of being a fringe-top ten talent in the league despite his struggles of last season.

Dajani recently stacked up the NFL's starting quarterbacks within six total tiers, where Stroud earned his place right within the second tier dubbed "borderline stars."

"His authoritative 2023 debut was almost as jarring as his 2024 regression, which saw his touch and timing dip amid a banged-up supporting cast," Dajani wrote. "Stroud is a grounded locker-room leader, though, and his ability to thread the needle to all levels of the field means he's primed to get the Houston Texans back in rhythm in Year 3."

Jun 10, 2025; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) participates in a drill during an NFL football minicamp at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images / Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Even with a rough 2024 campaign in the books, with an injury-riddled pass-catching unit and an offensive line group that allowed Stroud to take the second-most sacks in the NFL, it wasn't quite a group built for sustainable success. It was still one that managed to make a bid into the postseason with a second-straight AFC South victory, but it wasn't as graceful as their showing in 2023.

Now, alongside a brand new supporting cast both at receiver and within his offensive line, the stage could be set for a bounceback in a major way for Stroud across the 2025 season. It could be one that takes a few weeks into the season to truly mesh together into a successful group, but if able to get firing on all cylinders early, there's room for this Texans offense to be more potent than ever under first-year offensive coordinator Nick Caley.

Of course, Stroud did have his fair share of OTA buzz surrounding his shoulder and health for next season, but with a successful minicamp session in the books, the Texans quarterback seems ready to go for his third year pro.

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