How good is C.J. Stroud? That's the question that's going to be asked quite a bit this season, with some expecting him to take a major step in production, and play better than he did as a rookie. Others are seeing him as a potential MVP candidate, making him possibly one of the youngest to win the award. Assuming he's actually in the running this season. He's ranked anywhere from the third-best quarterback (in his own words) to a top-10 guy by most publications.
One could argue the only two sure-fire guys who are better than him right now are Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills and the face of the league, Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs. Every other player in the game right now is either slightly above him, on his level, or looking up at him from underneath. It's wild to say a guy with one year of experience has already entered the conversation for being one of the league's best, but it's true.
CBS, however, decided to put a guy like Aaron Rodgers over Sroud in their recent list. That was wrong. Even if Rodgers, who suffered a major injury in 2023, returns to form, it's fair to say that Stroud is better than him right now. I'd take 2023 Stroud over 2022 Rodgers. Historically, Rodgers is a future Hall of Famer, and that shouldn't be dismissed, but he's no longer the guy who took the Green Bay Packers to the Super Bowl. Now, he's, at best, a boarder-line Pro Bowler.
Not terrible, but far cry from one of the best in the league. Which Stroud is. Yet, if CBS got it wrong by putting Rodgers over Stroud, who else did they get wrong? Stroud came in at No. 6, behind Rodgers (No. 5), and Lamar Jackson (No. 4). If Stroud is the better player over Rodgers, can the same be said about Jackson?
Jackson came in as the 16th-best player on CBS's list, and the 4th-best quarterback. A bit higher than Stroud's 38th and 6th spot respectively. Though, should there be that big of a gap between the fourth and sixth-best quarterback? Jackson is a two-time MVP, Stroud is not, and that does matter. Though only so much. If you've watched the NFL for long, you know an MVP candidate could be out of the league in a year or two. Just look at Shaun Alexander.
Jackson is an up-and-down player. When he's on, he's nearly unstoppable. When he's not, however, he's the reason his team can go belly up. That shouldn't take away from the fact he's a top-10 quarterback. He is after all one of the best in the game when he's on. It's just that he's been inconsistent too often not to be looked at under a microscope. Let's be clear, we're splitting hairs here. He's good, but is he better than Stroud?
Well, to be honest, they're two vastly different quarterbacks. Jackson can sling it on occasion, but his high rate of accuracy comes from his ability to give his targets time to get open. He freestyles more in the pocket than anyone in the league and maybe anyone in league history. He's able to get defenders to fall back because they're afraid of him taking off with the ball in his hands. That allows his receivers to get more single-coverage than others, allowing for big plays. Sadly, he's not perfect when throwing the ball.
His release isn't great and if he had to just be a drop-back quarterback, he may not have the accuracy to be on this level. Jackson doesn't sling it down the field, nor does he make routine big throws like Mahomes, Allen, and others. His versatility is what makes him so elite. Already after one year, Stroud has thrown for more yards in a season than any season Jackson has played.
Stroud is more accurate than Jackson and is less turnover-prone, he's shown to be able to elevate receivers' play, something Jackson hasn't been seen doing. In fact, heading into 2023, Tank Dell and Nico Collins were not seen as the budding Pro Bowlers they are today and that's in part due to Stroud. Defenders of Jackson always cite the lack of talent he has to throw to, but one could argue that his style of play isn't conducive to turning mid-tier receivers into Pro Bowlers.
At Jackson's apex, he's probably the most dangerous quarterback in the league. He's fast, smart, and has multiple talents to lean on. Yet, when a defense figures him out and keeps him in the pocket, he becomes very ordinary, very fast. Stroud may not have the same play-making talents as Jackson. After all, Stroud only had 167 yards rushing in 2023, but Stroud doesn't have the same floor as Jackson. At least, that we've seen so far.
All told, Jackson accumulated 4,499 yards (passing and rushing), with 29 total touchdowns. Stroud finished 2023 with 4,275 total yards (passing and rushing) with 26 total touchdowns. Stroud also played in one game fewer than Jackson. It's fair to say that off of last season, it's a wash on production.
So while you could argue that Jackson is the "better" option because of his high ceiling, I would argue that Stroud's the "better" option because of his high floor. Even a bad game from Stroud is still good enough to win. The same can't be said for Jackson.
We'll have to see how 2024 plays out to see if that observation holds any water, however. It's still far too soon to say one way or another, but Stroud does appear to be on Jackson's level.