By Yardbarker,Zac Wassink
Copyright yardbarker
Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud endured an up-and-down second pro season after he ran away with the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award for the 2023 campaign.
For an article published on Monday, Stroud spoke with ESPN’s DJ Bien-Aime about how the signal-caller “limited his public appearances and focused mainly on football, family and his faith” during the offseason after Houston suffered a divisional-round playoff loss to the Kansas City Chiefs this past January.
C.J. Stroud is still learning what not to do as an NFL QB1
“When you’re young in the NFL, trying to have fun being around, you enjoy a lot of the different things that it comes with,” Stroud said about how he handled himself differently during the offseason compared to what he did following his rookie year. “And I think I’ve just grown as a person. … So I just try my best to learn as a man of God, first and foremost, and then, just as an NFL quarterback, just the things to do and not to do.”
Pro Football Reference stats show that Stroud ended his first NFL regular season leading the league among qualified players with 273.9 passing yards per game. He was ranked sixth with a 100.8 passer rating, and he recorded 23 touchdown passes with five interceptions and 38 sacks taken over 15 games.
To compare, Stroud finished the 2024 season ranked 19th among qualified quarterbacks with an average of 219.2 passing yards per game, 25th with an 87.0 passer rating and tied for 15th with 20 passing scores. Over 17 games, he tallied 12 interceptions and was sacked 52 times (second-most in the NFL).
The Texans parted ways with offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik in January and replaced him with former Los Angeles Rams tight ends coach and pass game coordinator Nick Caley.
Will quieter C.J. Stroud be better for Houston Texans?
“I’m more cautious of those things now, words do matter,” Stroud added. “People quote stuff that you don’t even say. I’ve learned just to shut my mouth sometimes and just mind my own business. And it’s worked for me. I’ve had a lot of peace this offseason, enjoying time with the fam and friends and really by myself.”
Stroud wasn’t all that quiet when he said after Houston’s 14-9 Week 1 loss at the Rams that “we didn’t deserve to win that game because we didn’t do the right things.” He completed 19-of-27 passes for 188 yards with no touchdowns, an interception and three sacks taken in that contest.
As of Monday morning, ESPN Bet had the Texans as 2.5-point home favorites for the “Monday Night Football” matchup against the 1-0 Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
