Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud ran away with the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year honors after establishing himself as the next rising passer in the pros.
Could he follow a similar path as Lamar Jackson or Patrick Mahomes and win league MVP in Year 2? While it might feel far-fetched in a competitive AFC, Vegas likes his chances entering 2024.
In the latest numbers presented by DraftKings SportsBook, Stroud appeared tied with Buffalo’s Josh Allen for the second-best odds to win the NFL’s top honor at +850. The Texans also enter with +2800 odds to win the Super Bowl after clinching the division last fall.
By no surprise, Mahomes enters the year as the betting favorite at +475. Cicinnati’s Joe Burrow (+900), Green Bay’s Jordan Love (+1400) and Jackson (+1400) round out the top five behind the two AFC studs.
Stroud, who became the fifth rookie in league history to throw for 4,000-plus yards in Year 1, seems poised to elevate his status past rising star. He’s entering another season with the same offensive identity under Bobby Slowik.
Houston also upgraded its arsenal around Stroud in free agency by trading for Bengals running back Joe Mixon and Bills Pro Bowl receiver Stefon Diggs. And if that wasn’t enough, the Texans added Stroud’s former security blanket at Ohio State in tight end Cade Stover in the draft this past April.
Should Stroud win MVP, he’d once again be fifth in league history for a distinguished honor as a second-year player to win the award, joining Dan Marino (1984), Kurt Warner (1999), Mahomes (2018) and Jackson (2018).
Stroud would also become the first offensive player to win one of the three major awards in franchise history, as well as the Texans’ first-ever MVP. He already broke the Texans’ offensive drought last year by becoming the first player to win Rookie of the Year, along with teammate Will Anderson Jr.
Since joining the league in 2002, the Texans have only featured one representative come close to winning MVP. Three-time Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt was a worthy candidate after his 20.5-sack season in 2014, but finished as the runner-up to Aaron Rodgers.
