NFL Exec: 'No Way in Hell' Texans' C.J. Stroud Would Have Same Success with Panthers

Had the Carolina Panthers drafted Houston Texans signal-caller C.J. Stroud over Bryce Young with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft, the rookie quarterback could have had a very different 2023 campaign.

"Houston has a better situation," one NFL executive told The Athletic's Jeff Howe. "If you drop Stroud in Carolina, would he have the same success? No way in hell."

The Panthers acquired the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft from the Chicago Bears to select Young, and the Alabama product struggled during his rookie season.

Young completed 59.8 percent of his passes for 2,877 yards and 11 touchdowns against 10 interceptions in 16 games. The Panthers finished the year with an NFL-worst 2-15 record, though that's not all the quarterback's fault.

It's no surprise Young didn't have a successful rookie season. The coaching in Carolina was awful, he didn't have many reliable targets and the play-calling was questionable at best, among other issues.

Stroud, meanwhile, will likely win the Offensive Rookie of the Year award after putting together one of the best rookie seasons NFL fans have seen in a while. He completed 63.9 percent of his passes for 4,108 yards and 23 touchdowns against five interceptions in 15 games, in addition to rushing for 167 yards and three scores.

In part thanks to Stroud, the Texans won the AFC South and clinched a playoff berth for the first time since the 2019 season. They also went on to defeat the Cleveland Browns in an AFC Wild Card round matchup.

While Stroud played exceptionally well, the Texans have a solid coaching staff led by DeMeco Ryans and the rookie also had a plethora of talent to work with on offense, including Nico Collins, Tank Dell, Dalton Schultz and Devin Singletary.

The Texans are preparing for a huge AFC Divisional round matchup against the Baltimore Ravens this weekend. But even if they don't come out with the victory, what the franchise has accomplished this year is nothing short of impressive and all eyes will be on Stroud and Co. in 2024.