Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud has continued to light it up in his rookie season and just had the biggest moment of his young career in leading the team to a 39-37 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. Down by two with just 46 seconds left, Stroud zoomed his team down the field and hit Tank Dell for the game-winning touchdown with six left seconds left on the clock.
Stroud set the single-game rookie passing yard record with 470 in the come-from-behind victory and threw a smooth five touchdowns against the Bucs defense. The No. 2 pick from Ohio State is currently the clear frontrunner to win NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, but he’s also creeping into the fringes of the MVP conversation.
Stroud’s MVP odds ticked up to +13000 at DraftKings Sportsbook following Sunday’s win, placing him 17th on the board. His stats have been excellent for a rookie, as he’s completed 62% of his passes for 2,270 yards with 14 touchdowns and one interception through eight games. As he gains more confidence and experience, those numbers are bound to only grow.
The rookie will still remain a longshot to win Most Valuable Player, as that would require him to outperform the likes of Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Christian McCaffrey, and other superstar veterans down the stretch. However, if he continues to improve while leading the Texans into the playoff picture, we could see him at least creep into that tier on the odds board by the end of the year.