C.J. Stroud took the NFL by storm in his rookie season. Stroud immediately became one of the best quarterbacks in the league, throwing for 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns, and just five interceptions. He also led the Texans to a dominant playoff win over the Cleveland Browns in the Wild Card round of last year’s playoffs.
Additionally, the Texans added some weapons around Stroud in the offseason. Wide receiver Stefon Diggs was traded to the Texans from the Buffalo Bills, where he had four stellar seasons. In all four seasons, Diggs had at least 100 receptions and 1,000 yards receiving. He has accumulated a 1,000+ yard season in six straight years, dating back to his last two years in Minnesota. Joe Mixon will also be a huge addition to this offense. Last season with the Bengals, Mixon rushed for 1,034 yards and nine touchdowns. However, Mixon is much more than just a running back. Through the air, Mixon caught 52 passes for 376 yards and 3 more touchdowns. Mixon’s dual-threat ability will be huge for C.J. Stroud this season.
2024 C.J. Stroud Stat Projections
Passing Yards
As mentioned above, Stroud threw for 4,108 yards last year. Everything points to Stroud clearing that number this year. Stroud now has a full NFL season of experience under his belt. He now knows what it takes to be elite at the NFL level. Head coach DeMeco Ryans has consistently discussed Stroud’s growth as a leader for his team. Stroud now has three elite receiving targets in Nico Collins, Stefon Diggs, and Tank Dell. Running back Joe Mixon and tight end Dalton Schultz will also be threats in the passing game. It’s also worth noting that Stroud missed two starts last year. Assuming he stays healthy, he will easily expand on his 4,108 yards from his rookie season.
Projection: 4,526 yards
Passing Touchdowns
Although he had an elite rookie season, Stroud’s passing touchdowns don’t stand out. Stroud threw for a mediocre 23 touchdowns last season. However, once again he missed two games, and now he has another red zone target in Stefon Diggs. With the Texans having another full offseason to mesh together, they should be even more effective as an offense, leading to more touchdown opportunities for Stroud. Expect this number to improve this year, and Stroud to throw for at least 30 touchdowns.
Projection: 32 touchdowns
Completion Percentage
C.J. Stroud had some accuracy issues last season. Some statistics to back this up include his completion percentage was just 63.9%, he ranked 21st in OnTgt% (percentage of on-target throws per pass attempt, excluding throwaways and spikes), second in BadTh% (percentage of poor throws per pass attempt, excluding spikes and throwaways), and 19th in completion percentage among qualified quarterbacks (11+ games played). However, once again, the additions of Diggs and Mixon will be massive for boosting Stroud’s completion percentage. They both have great hands and can make contested catches. Stroud should finish top 10 in completion percentage this season.
Projection: 67.1%
Interceptions
Arguably, the most impressive part of Stroud’s rookie campaign was his historically low interception total. Stroud threw just five interceptions on the entire season, which ranked third among qualified quarterbacks. The other two quarterbacks are Kenny Pickett who had four interceptions in 12 games, and Tyrod Taylor who had three interceptions in 11 games. Stroud played 15 games last season. He very easily could have had the lowest interception total in the league if Taylor and Pickett played more games. Among quarterbacks who played at least 15 games, Stroud easily had the lowest total. The second least among quarterbacks with 15+ games played would be Lamar Jackson with seven interceptions. Just a reminder that Lamar Jackson won MVP last season. It would be remarkable for Stroud to repeat this low interception total this upcoming season, but I wouldn’t expect a dramatic increase either.
Projection: 8 interceptions
Final Stat Line
Here are the final stat projections for C.J. Stroud for the 2024-2025 NFL regular season. He is a young, elite quarterback on the rise and will be fun to watch this year.
Passing Yards: 4,526
Passing Touchdowns: 32
Completion Percentage: 67.1%
Interceptions: 8
Main Image: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
