CJ Stroud’s stellar rookie season has ignited some bold claims, with Texans rookie WR Tank Dell even suggesting Stroud could eclipse Patrick Mahomes as the league’s top quarterback. But not everyone’s buying into the hype just yet. Fox Sports analyst Chris Broussard recently pumped the brakes on this notion, arguing that Stroud overtaking Mahomes isn’t happening anytime soon.
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Broussard believes it’ll take at least seven to eight years before we can even entertain that conversation. Further explaining that for Stroud to even come close to Mahomes’ level, he’d have to win big during Mahomes’ prime years. And that’s certainly a tall order for any young player, let alone one just starting out. Bringing Tom Brady into the conversation, he said on The Odd Couple podcast,
“Guys will have better regular seasons. Tom Brady, the GOAT in most people’s estimation, was only First Team All-Pro three times in his career. That means he was viewed as the best only three times even as he was viewed as the GOAT by many. But, Patrick Mahomes has won at such a rate…that I don’t think it is even up for debate for the next several years.”
Broussard did acknowledge that Stroud might put up impressive regular-season numbers or even bag an MVP award, much like Lamar Jackson did last year. He pointed out that even Brock Purdy outperformed Mahomes statistically in the regular season.
But what makes the Kansas City Chiefs QB a special player is that he turned his seven NFL seasons, till now, into three Super Bowl rings.
For Stroud to enter the conversation, Broussard argues he would need to carry the Houston Texans to Super Bowl wins single-handedly, mirroring what Mahomes himself did.
Broussard Believes Stroud Has a Long Way to Go
Mahomes won an MVP in his first season as a starter and led the Chiefs to a Super Bowl in his second. He set the bar sky-high for young quarterbacks to follow him. While Stroud’s potential is undeniable, matching Mahomes’ meteoric rise is a challenge few, if any, can meet. He was straightforward as he said, “Props to Tanks, props to CJ. But I just think the best player in the world is off the table right now.”
The NFL has seen plenty of QBs have their moment in the sun, winning MVP awards and having astounding seasons. Mahomes himself knows the long road that lies ahead of him and demands 4 more Super Bowl wins to equal Brady.
So, it’s not just about being great for a couple of seasons or two. It’s about showing up year after year and delivering those championship seasons. Now, CJ Stroud has definitely been turning heads and showing promise. But in the NFL, until he’s lifting that Lombardi Trophy, he’s still playing catch-up to Patrick Mahomes.
