Stroud wins OROY to crown epic rookie season

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud claimed Offensive Rookie of the Year at the NFL Honors on Thursday night.

The 2023 No. 2 pick, Stroud was widely expected to take home the award after recording one of the greatest rookie seasons ever this past year.

The Ohio State product completed 63.9% of his passes for 4,108 yards and 23 touchdowns against five interceptions in 15 games. He joined Tom Brady and Joe Montana as the only players in the Super Bowl era to lead the NFL in TD/INT ratio and passing yards per game in the same season.

Stroud had an all-time-great performance in Week 9 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, completing 71% of his passes for a rookie-record 470 yards and five touchdowns. He went 9-6 as a starter in Year 1, helping the Texans win the division with a 10-7 record after Houston won just three games in 2022. The AFC South team beat the Cleveland Browns in the wild-card round before losing to the Baltimore Ravens in the playoffs.

Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs and tight end Sam LaPorta, Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua, and Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson were the other Offensive Rookie of the Year finalists.

Stroud ran away with the award, receiving 48 first-place votes. Nacua was the only other first-year player to receive consideration for first place with two votes. LaPorta ranked third in the race.

While Stroud, Gibbs, LaPorta, and Robinson were all top-35 draft picks, Nacua entered the NFL as a fifth-round selection. Nineteen wideouts were selected before the Rams took the BYU product 177th overall.

Nacua set rookie records for catches (105) and receiving yards (1,486). The 22-year-old, who earned a second-team All-Pro berth, also caught six touchdowns.

Stroud was the second quarterback off the board in the 2023 NFL Draft after Bryce Young, who went first overall to the Carolina Panthers.

He becomes the first quarterback to be named OROY since Justin Herbert of the Los Angeles Chargers in 2020. Cincinnati Bengals receiver Ja'Marr Chase and New York Jets wideout Garrett Wilson won the award in 2021 and 2022, respectively.

The Texans swept rookie awards in 2023, as edge rusher Will Anderson was named Defensive Rookie of the Year over Philadelphia Eagles defensive lineman Jalen Carter.