The upcoming NFL season has plenty of unique storylines to follow, but one of the most popular ones could be the situation in Houston.
The Houston Texans broke out a season ago, improving from 3-13-1 to 10-7 after bringing in C.J. Stroud as a rookie quarterback and DeMeco Ryans as a first-year head coach. The culture reset, the offense was humming and the Texans were a well-rounded playoff team.
After one playoff game, Stroud and the Texans were eliminated from the playoffs, but the future is sky-high for the franchise. So much so that Houston went all-in, making win-now moves behind the second-year star quarterback.
Adding Stefon Diggs and Joe Mixon into the fold offensively, life could get even easier for Stroud.
Bleacher Report's Brad Gagnon recently released 32 reactions to the 2024 NFL offseason, and the Texans' overreaction had to do with their improved offensive arsenal.
"With even more support than he had in 2023, second-year quarterback C.J. Stroud will become a superstar and lead the Texans deep into the 2024 playoffs," Gagnon wrote.
Stroud posted 4,108 passing yards, 23 touchdowns and just five interceptions in 15 appearances as a rookie. He took a 3-13-1 team to the postseason. The rookie also helped spark a new culture in Houston. It's no shock people are ready to predict he will emerge as a superstar next season with the new offensive weapons.
"Sophomore slumps are a thing, and the rest of the league will be much better prepared to defend Stroud and face a Houston team that surprised everybody last year," Gagnon continued.
The explanation here is confusing. Stroud and the Texans being in the postseason feels like a safe prediction. It doesn't feel like *too* much of an overreaction to say he could become a superstar and lead the team deep into the playoffs.
If Stroud becomes a superstar, a sophomore slump will be non-existant and teams will struggle to figure him out while they're focused on his elite arsenal of targets across the board.
This article first appeared on Houston Texans on SI and was syndicated with permission.
