The Houston Texans are far ahead of schedule. It only took DeMeco Ryans one season to turn the team around, although GM Nick Caserio also deserves plenty of credit for the way he put this team together. Trading up to get the No. 3 pick was a big part of their success, as they found back-to-back foundational pieces in C.J. Stroud and Will Anderson Jr, one for each side of the field. Anderson Jr’s solid rookie season was overshadowed by Stroud’s historically great first year.
With that in mind, Rich Eisen asked Anderson when he first noticed that his quarterback was special (via Nick Schwager).
Will Anderson Jr. on the @RichEisenShow talks about when he knew CJ Stroud was special 🫡 pic.twitter.com/srXvw8yo6u
— Nick Schwager (@NickSchwagerNFL) June 29, 2024
Anderson revealed that he actually knew Stroud long before being teammates, but it didn’t take long before he realized that he had that ‘It factor.’ Per Anderson, the way Stroud showed up to training camp and OTAs helped him become a leader right out of the gate, with the entire team responding to him. He also praised the way he paid attention to detail and was determined to be better, adding that he got very angry when he made a mistake and immediately asked how to get better and correct things.
Stroud entered the league with some skeptics and doubters, just like many other former Ohio State quarterbacks. Now, it wouldn’t be shocking to see the Texans come out of the AFC, and while he’s still young and is far from reaching his prime, it shouldn’t take long before we see him make an MVP case for himself.
