The Houston Texans are going to enter the 2024 season expected to win the AFC South and make it farther than the AFC Divisional Round, where their season came to an end in 2023. That’s a far cry from the 6.5 wins they were projected for as the season began.
Head coach DeMeco Ryans deserves a ton of credit, as does general manager Nick Caserio and the supporting cast that stepped up. But no one is more responsible for turning Houston into a contender than quarterback C.J. Stroud.
Stroud capped off one of the most impressive rookie seasons in recent memory with the hardware to match, bringing home 48 of 50 first-place votes for Offensive Rookie of the Year .
The personal accolades are nice, but Stroud will be the first one to tell you that the Lombardi Trophy, awarded to the Super Bowl champions, is the only one that matters. He won’t go as far to look at the trophy that either the Kansas City Chiefs or San Francisco 49ers will hoist on Sunday.
On “ Up & Adams ,” Stroud sat next to the trophy, refusing to give it any more dignity than his peripheral vision.