Where would we rank C.J. Stroud among the NFL's best quarterbacks?

C.J. Stroud's ascension has been one of the biggest stories of the NFL offseason. His performances in 2023 were among the best the Houston Texans' franchise has ever had, and it left many wondering exactly how good Stroud was, and how could he could be. There are few times in football does a quarterback comes in during his rookie year and makes the impact Stroud did, so it's not out of the line to think we could be seeing a generational quarterback emerge.

Still, before one ascends to the generational status, he needs to put in the work and prove himself as good as the best in the NFL. So does Stroud match up with the best in the NFL? Well, if you look at his quarterback rating (not ESPN's QBR), yes, he does. Stroud is sixth in the NFL with a rating of 100.8.

Only Tua Tagovailoa, Lamar Jackson, Kirk Cousins, Dak Prescott, and Brock Purdy had higher ratings than him. Of those names, only Jackson is routinely seen by the NFL media as "better" than Stroud. Prescott and Purdy can match him on occasion depending on who you ask, but routinely it seems Stroud places higher than Tagovailoa and Cousins.

While ratings are a good metric, we can't deny the impact that Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen are beyond talented, despite their mid-tier rating scores. Are we going to suggest they were not on Stroud's level or higher just because they had a less-than-impressive rating? Of course not, they're nearly unanimously seen as the first and second-rated quarterbacks by the media. So, how does that impact our rating? Well, it's hard admittedly.

One's most recent season should matter, but so should their career body of work. Not only that but what is their impact on the team? Are they struggling without key members of their roster or do they help elevate those around him? We believe Stroud is a key reason why Nico Collins and Tank Dell had the seasons that they had, so we think if you're going to top him in the rating, you should be able to either win without talent around you or make those around you better.

So, with all that in place, here is our ranking;

1. Patrick Mahomes
2. Josh Allen
3. Lamar Jackson
4. Joe Burrow
5. Dak Prescott
6. Brock Purdy
7. C.J. Stroud
8. Justin Herbert
9. Jared Goff
10. Tua Tagovailoa

Mahomes is a multi-time Super Bowl champion, so it's obvious that he's the top dog. Josh Allen is the most dynamic quarterback in the league, being among the best passers and rushers in the league. While Jackson may not throw as well as Allen, he's a more nimble runner, and very effective at throwing on the run. Burrow, when healthy, is as good of a passer as anyone in the league, plus he's been to a Super Bowl. As has Purdy.

So it's fair to see Stroud sitting sixth behind Mahomes, Allen, and Jackson, who are all perpetual MVP candidates. Burrow and Prescott are a month the two better passers and considering what they've been able to do with the team (and coaches), it should be celebrated how good they've been. Where we may get some blowback is with Purdy over Stroud. Purdy isn't' some shmuck. He's an MVP candidate, who has taken his team to the Super Bowl. While you can argue his team is so good that it covers up any issues he has as a player, one can also argue that talent alone doesn't get a team to the big game.

After all, look at how many great, Pro Bowl, MVP-winning quarterbacks fail in the playoffs each season. Purdy has proven his worth. If Stroud can get to a championship game in year two, we'll certainly rethink our list.