Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud has his eyes on winning a Lombardi Trophy during his career. Although he came up short in his rookie season, Stroud told FanDuel TV’s Kay Adams he’s already looking toward next year for when he can play for a Lombardi Trophy.
But in the meantime, Stroud said won’t even look at the one the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers will fight for in Super Bowl LVIII. Adams had the actual trophy that will be presented to one of the teams on set during her interview with the Texans quarterback, but Stroud refused to glance at it.
“I want to put my eyes on the one that I want to win,” Stroud said. “I’d rather just wait next year for mine.”
.@CJStroudMVP won’t look at the Lombardi Trophy
“I want to put my eyes on the one that I want to win… that’s already up for grabs”@heykayadams pic.twitter.com/q09Ujv9wD3
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) February 9, 2024
Bold talk for the Offensive Rookie of the Year. But Stroud proved in Year 1 he can lead this Texans team to great heights. He led the NFL in passing yards per game this year and had the lowest interception rate among quarterbacks who played at least 10 games.
The Texans offense as a whole looked great, too, especially in three of Stroud’s final four games of the season. Houston looked its best in the wild card win over the Cleveland Browns where Stroud threw three first-half touchdowns. He couldn’t take down the vaunted Baltimore Ravens defense in the divisional round, though.
A return to the playoffs may not be so easy with the competitiveness of the AFC South, though. The Indianapolis Colts and Jacksonville Jaguars were both in contention for the division crown before the Texans took crucial wins at the end of the season. Houston general manager Nick Caserio and head coach DeMeco Ryans will need to make flawless moves this offseason to maintain the teams’ core but also improve areas of need across the roster.
Either way, Stroud has his heart – and his eyes – set on next year’s Lombardi Trophy.
