CJ Stroud has made life tough for the likes of Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, as per NFL insider
CJ Stroud took the league by storm in his rookie year. He broke several records in the process of being named the NFL Offensive Player of the Year. However, Stroud’s stellar performance will be a bane for rookie QBs this year, suggests an NFL insider.
The Houston Texans went to the playoffs when nobody expected them to do this with a rookie QB leading them. Not only that, but Stroud became the youngest rookie QB to win a playoff game at 22. This, combined with his regular season numbers, puts him in the upper echelon of rookie QBs.
Adam Schefter appeared on ESPN’s ‘Get Up’ and stated that CJ Stroud might have put added pressure and expectations on young rookie QBs this year.
“Every quarterback now entering the league is going to be measured up against CJ Stroud because of how he played last year. Better than any other quarterback rookie ever had.
“And now all these guys, Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye,” Schefter continued, “any of these guys are going to be measured against a guy who set the standard last year. He elevated the bar for rookie quarterbacks. Expectations for first-round draft picks, a rookie quarterback already are high, he made them higher.”
Schefter further stated that these comparisons for the rookie stars of the Chicago Bears and the New England Patriots will be even worse if any of them falters. The insider confessed that it is natural for young QBs to take some time, not named CJ Stroud.
CJ Stroud has pressure on him
Many believe that Caleb Williams should not be compared to CJ Stroud. But NFL analyst Sam Acho, also speaking on ESPN's First Take, stated that even Stroud will not be able to measure up to his past year.
"That's why there's so much pressure on CJ Stroud,” said Acho, "because of what he did, because of the expectations, because of what you saw last year. Can you follow it up? We think he can, but he has to actually do it... Now, all eyes are on you now."
The Texans will be in their training camp till August 10 and Stroud will have to work on his game to prove that last year was not a fluke.