Three years ago, it looked like the Houston Texans had landed a true star. Indianapolis Colts fans watched jealously from afar while Ohio State product C.J. Stroud made scouts look foolish for not making him the consensus No. 1 pick.
Fast forward to today, and that's no longer the sentiment around the AFC South. The young quarterback seemingly peaked as a rookie, to the point where the Texans don't seem to be in much of a rush to give him a lucrative contract extension.
That's why, even though DeMeco Ryans has proven to be a great coach, Stroud is clearly holding him back. At least, that's what NFL Spin Zone's Lou Scataglia implied when he ranked The Texans as the No. 8 quarterback-head coach duo.
The Indianapolis Colts need C.J. Stroud to stay in the division
"Stroud has been a rather average player the last two seasons after a stellar start in 2023, but Ryans, on the other hand, is clearly one of the better head coaches in the league and a defensive wizard," wrote Scataglia.
On paper, Colts fans should want Stroud gone and away from the AFC South. He's got a 5-1 record with a 103.2 passer rating, throwing for 1,612 yards, 8 touchdowns, and 1 interception in his six games vs. the Colts.
However, context matters. Of those five wins, only one came against a starting-caliber guy like Daniel Jones. The others came against the likes of Gardner Minshew, Anthony Richardson, and Riley Leonard. Even so, Stroud has only beaten the Colts by more than one possession once, and it happened in last year's regular-season finale with nothing at stake.
While Ryans has instilled his competitive fire in the Texans' sturdy and physical defense, the offense continues to hold the team back. They looked as good -- if not better -- with Davis Mills at the helm, and there are more than enough reasons to doubt Stroud's status as a franchise quarterback.
That's why, as much as he may hold bragging rights over the Colts right now, Shane Steichen's team would love to have him in the division for years to come. Given how overblown the quarterback market is right now, the Colts would be making a huge mistake by giving him a long-term, market-resetting deal.
That will only happen if he balls out this season, which, all things considered, might be a big 'if.' That said, they may not have much of a choice either, and they may simply have to deal with the fact that it's either being stuck with Stroud for a little longer or rolling the dice on an unproven quarterback.
Whatever the case, this will also be a make-or-break season for the Colts, and leveling the scales against Stroud and the Texans will be crucial for Steichen's job security. With slightly competent quarterback play from Daniel Jones, that's definitely not out of the question.
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