C.J. Stroud shouldn't be seen as an MVP candidate just yet

People like to rush these days. There's no patience anymore. It's always instant gratification. That could be why depression is on the rise in the United States, but let's tackle that concept a different day. The idea that we don't have time to give however is not up for debate. We're certainly not a patient society anymore. We like to rush into things.

From everyday life to the sports world. Nothing can ever achieve its results without being rushed and that seemingly involves the Houston Texans and their star quarterback C.J. Stroud. Stroud had a massive rookie year. He led a huge turnaround for the franchise, taking them to a 10-7 record, winning the AFC South, and getting them an opening-round win in the playoffs. He even ended up a Pro bowler.

One can say he not only lived up to any lofty expectations that people had for him coming out of college but that he raised them as well. So now pundits are expecting even more out of Stroud. He's still the same age as most college seniors, and ESPN pundits are already forcing him into the conversation for the league's Most Valuable Player award.

There's no patience anymore for players to develop and mature, just overreactions. Stroud had a massive 2023, but he was far from perfect, and far from a real MVP candidate. Granted, the MVP race in 2023 was kind of a joke, with Lamar Jackson getting the award despite the Baltimore Ravens not being a championship-caliber team. So maybe the Texans quarterback is already in the MVP race, but we're not there yet. Not really.

He's still a young, developing quarterback, and giving him space and leeway to not be the very best should be ok. There's a good chance that Stroud won't be an MVP next season, and that's not a bad thing. It feels like Stroud is being forced into this conversation only to set him up for failure if he fails to be in the running.

It seems unnecessary for someone so young to raise the expectations as high as some are. Let's see how he does in 2024 before we start expecting the top-tier level of expectations from him.