Thomas Shea-Imagn Images
Oh, he’s regressed, but I expected that. Not to say I saw this type of slump coming, but people have to realize that everyone goes through one bad year. Baker Mayfield was awful in his second season with Cleveland. Patrick Mahomes regressed following his MVP season in 2019. Even Tua wasn’t elite in 2021 under Brian Flores.
The first issue is his confidence. Stroud’s been playing like a man needed to be the hero instead of the right call. His protection has been hit or miss from the offensive line, thus leading to turnovers, but his reads are all over the place.
The second thing is the weaponry. Stroud entered the year with perhaps the best-receiving trio in the NFL behind Nico Collins, Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell. All three players have or will have missed at least five games, with Dell and Diggs being out for the rest of the year. John Metchie is a solid No. 3 or No. 4 option, but the Texans need him to be a No. 2. The same goes for Robert Woods, who’s suited as a quality No. 5 threat.
Stroud’s rookie season was always oversaturated in the public eye. The same goes for his slump in Year 2. Overall, I’d say Stroud is somewhere in the middle of the two years for the long term. He’s a top-12 passer but might not be a quarterback that can win you a Super Bowl alone.
