NFL analyst places Mahomesian pressure on C.J. Stroud in wake of new additions
C.J. Stroud put the AFC on notice in 2022 and with the front office pulling the trigger in the succeeding months, all cylinders are firing. With that come high expectations from the fan base. However, the expectations for the team have risen to the highest level for one NFL analyst.
On Tuesday's edition of "Pro Football Talk," NFL analyst Chris Simms placed Super Bowl expectations on C.J. Stroud.
"They're going to be good for a long time," Simms said. "But then when you talk about the [new] additions, especially Danielle Hunter and Stefon Diggs, you go from winner of the AFC South' type of team to we know they're going for the Super Bowl."
Simms claimed it was not just him setting those expectations. After the Texans made waves with their additions, he claimed the team expects the best for 2024.
"They've injected themselves into [being a] Super Bowl contender," Simms added. "The Texans definitely got very, very high expectations from everybody now. And especially with that guy at quarterback."
This offseason, the Texans brought back Dalton Schultz, traded for Stefon Diggs, and signed Danielle Hunter with the 2024 NFL Draft still to go.
The Texans have yet to make their first Super Bowl appearance since becoming a franchise in 2002.
C.J. Stroud leads Texans to highest expectations in a decade
Interestingly, the team has had sky-high expectations placed on them in the past.
Following the Denver Broncos' unlikely run to win the Super Bowl, their backup quarterback Brock Osweiler was the talk of the town. Osweiler went 5-2 with the team, holding down the fort for Peyton Manning as he rehabbed from injury.
However, following the Super Bowl victory, the quarterback and team could not nail down a deal in negotiations. Osweiler landed with the Houston Texans, a team with J.J. Watt in his prime and DeAndre Hopkins on offense.
Between the two stars and numerous other quality names on the roster, some have named the team the Super Bowl phenom to watch out for.
Instead, while the team had a watchable season, Osweiler failed to help the unit advance deep in the playoffs.
Of course, while the Deshaun Watson era was met with high expectations, the last time the team was a conventional Super Bowl pick near the top of the conference was a few years before.
Will C.J. Stroud's Houston Texans get a Super Bowl appearance for Texas before the Dallas Cowboys?
If any of the above quotes are used, credit "Pro Football Talk" and H/T Sportskeeda.