Famous quarterback coach shares high praise for Texans' C.J. Stroud

Famous quarterback coach Quincy Avery first worked with Houston Texans signal-caller C.J. Stroud when Stroud was a teenager and offered high praise for the 21-year-old who played like a rookie sensation across his first month of NFL action. 

"C.J. has started about as well as you could start as a rookie quarterback, especially with the abundance of those throws that [Houston’s coaching staff] is asking him to make early on in the season," Avery told Jason Reid of Andscape this week. "He’s probably playing at a higher level than most [NFL] quarterbacks at any time of their careers." 

Per ESPN stats, Stroud began Friday ranked 10th in the NFL among qualified quarterbacks with a 98.0 passer rating and sixth overall with 906 yards through the air on the season. He recently earned Offensive Rookie of the Month honors after he matched four touchdown passes with zero interceptions over his first three games, and he completed 20-of-30 passes for 280 yards and two scores in last Sunday's 37-17 upset victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. 

Individuals such as James Mueller of the Houston Chronicle have repeatedly applauded Stroud's leadership qualities after the first-year pro was named a team captain before Week 1. Avery sounds unsurprised that such takes generated headlines throughout September. 

"The leadership is a big part of it and guys [Stroud’s teammates] see that," Avery explained. "You’re looking at a team that really just doesn’t have a lot of talent right now. But C.J. isn’t worrying about that. He’s doing everything he can … and he’s making them look good." 

Some questioned Stroud's intelligence ahead of the draft after he reportedly posted a poor score on the S2 Cognition Test. Avery noted that Stroud, who is tied for seventh in the league with an average of 7.5 yards per pass attempt, has silenced such chatter by becoming his team's top offensive asset. 

"...Anyone who really knows C.J. would never have doubted he could do it," Avery added. 

Stroud and the 1-2 Texans host the 2-1 Pittsburgh Steelers this coming Sunday afternoon.