Texans' DeMeco Ryans shares how C.J. Stroud excelled this offseason

C.J. Stroud exceeded expectations as a rookie and has set a high bar for himself and the Texans moving forward. It sounds like the young star has spent his offseason making sure he'll be able to meet the raised expectations heading into his sophomore campaign.

During a Thursday news conference, Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans discussed how Stroud embraced his role as the offense's undisputed leader during Stroud's first full NFL offseason as a starter.

"I think C.J. has done a really good job this offseason as a leader when it comes to working with other guys — knowing that he’s not just working by himself but finding the avenues to get a group together and work together," Ryans explained, per Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk. "That’s very important, especially when it comes to timing in the passing game for receivers and quarterbacks. They have to be in sync. And it shows that they see how important that was because guys were working together this summer."

A report from earlier in July detailed how playing in the Snoop Youth Football League founded by entertainment superstar Snoop Dogg helped Stroud develop traits he flashed en route to earning Offensive Rookie of the Year Award honors this past winter. It was revealed last year that Stroud paid for flights and hotel rooms to work out with teammates following spring practices even though he hadn't yet been named the team's QB1 at that time.

Per Pro-Football-Reference stats, Stroud finished his first NFL regular season ranked sixth in the league with a 100.8 passer rating and first with an average of 273.9 passing yards per game. He tossed 23 touchdown passes with only five interceptions across 15 contests, and he then guided the Texans to the divisional round of the playoffs.

On Thursday, Ryans challenged Stroud to "continue to become the leader that we want him to be" as a second-year pro. Ryans also indicated Stroud has already shown he can handle the high expectations many have for the Texans ahead of August.

"You see how much better he got from his first day of camp last year until our last game — how much better [he got], you saw the growth of him," Ryans added. "And that’s the same thing as we come into this season."

As of Thursday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook listed Stroud second among the betting favorites behind only Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs (+475) at +850 odds to win the Most Valuable Player Award for the 2024 regular season. Stroud could get his hands on multiple trophies between training camp and Super Bowl LIX if he manages to avoid the dreaded sophomore slump that often impacts players who enjoy stellar rookie campaigns.