Pro Football Focus’ latest quarterback rankings have given C.J. Stroud another reminder of how far he has to climb back.
In a ranking of all 32 projected starting quarterbacks ahead of the 2026 regular season, PFF contributors Dalton Wasserman and Max Chadwick placed the Houston Texans passer 17th. That’s a steep drop from the “top-five” label Stroud gave himself after his breakout 2023 rookie season, but it also reflects how much ground he gave back after a rough 2025.
The quarterbacks ranked ahead of Stroud were Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, Matthew Stafford, Jordan Love, Justin Herbert, Dak Prescott, Drake Maye, Brock Purdy, Trevor Lawrence, Jayden Daniels, Caleb Williams, Sam Darnold, Jalen Hurts and Jared Goff.
It’s a strong group, and Stroud still landed above Baker Mayfield, Bo Nix and Bryce Young, a placement that would probably stir up plenty of debate in those fan bases.
PFF’s explanation for the ranking dug straight into Stroud’s downturn. “Stroud regressed significantly in 2025 as he continued to deal with poor pass protection and injuries,” the writeup said.
It then added: “His 62.0 PFF passing grade ranked 34th among 43 qualifying quarterbacks, including the postseason. He also committed a career-high 23 turnover-worthy plays, 10 of which came in Houston’s two postseason games against Pittsburgh and New England.”
That playoff collapse is still doing a lot of the damage to Stroud’s reputation. His five fumbles and five interceptions in those two games are still fresh, and PFF also pointed to his play under pressure as part of the evaluation.
The good news for Houston is that the Texans haven’t been ignoring the issue. New quarterbacks coach Jerry Schuplinski, All-Pro cornerback Derek Stingley Jr., offensive coordinator Nick Caley and head coach DeMeco Ryans have all addressed the same concerns.
Stroud, meanwhile, appears to be in the best place he’s been all offseason. If he can carry those lessons into September and clean up the mistakes from last year, Houston could be staring at its first Conference Championship game in franchise history.
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