It has been one heck of a story for both players who currently are No. 1 and No. 2 on the NFL passing yardage leaderboard. Sam Howell and C.J. Stroud came into the season as massive underdogs, and now both players are setting new standards for themselves and blow projections out of the water.
Sam Howell currently leads the league in passing yardage and has put on an absolute show in Washington. It’s hard to say much was expected of the second-year quarterback out of North Carolina, as being a fifth-round draft pick tempered people’s expectations. Well into the season, Howell looks like the answer at the position and has been able to take advantage of his numerous weapons despite one of the worst offensive lines in the entire league protecting him.
Not much else needs to be said about C.J. Stroud, who is almost a lock for offensive rookie of the year and is second in the league in passing. Stroud has been playing like a 10-year pro and has already clearly established himself as an elite quarterback in this league. If Stroud keeps up his current incredible pace, he is well on his way to a potential MVP nod as well.
It goes to show that nothing in the NFL is a given, and whatever expectations and projections people have at the beginning of the year are often likely to be blown up rather quickly. Both the Houston Texans and Washington Commanders have landed themselves special players at the quarterback position, and the league as a whole is better for it.
