Jaguars fans can do nothing but laugh at CJ Stroud's dramatic decline

Quarterback C.J. Stroud took the league by storm last year, and talking heads wasted no time jumping on his bandwagon. All things considered, the praise of the former Ohio State Buckeye was warranted, as he played like a vested veteran even though he was just a rookie. But fast forward to 2024, and his sophomore slump shows that he was crowned too early. Watching him struggle, fans of the Jacksonville Jaguars and supporters of Trevor Lawrence should most definitely feel vindicated.

While Lawrence dealt with a myriad of injuries in 2023, Stroud helped the Houston Texans seize the AFC South and make the playoffs. The Rancho Cucamonga native put up strong numbers in his rookie campaign, completing 63.9 percent of his throws for 4,108 yards with 23 touchdowns and just three picks. His quick ascension made analysts forget about his Jaguars counterpart.

Looking back, this was puzzling, as Lawrence had played like a top-10 quarterback the year prior. It didn't matter, Stroud had arrived and became the next best thing. Unfortunately, the success he enjoyed as a rookie was unsustainable. With enough tape of him, opposing clubs had enough time to prepare and defend him. Heck, the Jags contained him in Week 4 and would've beaten Houston if it weren't for self-inflicted wounds.

The Texans have now lost four of the last six games, and Stroud looks pedestrian. Granted, he's not the sole reason his team has struggled. On the other hand, he hasn't been able to elevate it the way he did last year. Simply put, the bar was set higher for the sophomore passer and his struggling to clear it. Looking back, his proclamation that he's a top-5 quarterback didn't age well.

Following the loss to Tennessee in Week 12, the Texans are 7-5. They're still the favorites to win the AFC South, but you could make the case that they failed to seize the opportunity to run away with the division.

The Jaguars should feel great about Trevor Lawrence while C.J. Stroud struggles

The NFL is fluid and always about "what you have done for me lately." Unless you're a superstar, you run the risk of being forgotten or disregarded if you don't consistently prove yourself. In the case of Trevor Lawrence, he was given a pass as a rookie because he had Urban Meyer as his head coach. Once the Jacksonville Jaguars brought in someone who actually knew what he was doing, No. 16 saw a massive improvement.

However, Lawrence and the Jaguars have struggled the past two years, which led to talking heads to leave them aside while talking C.J. Stroud up. But now that the second-year quarterback has struggled, he's quickly getting disregarded too.

Perhaps Stroud will turn the corner and show that he's still the same quarterback he was as a rookie. On the other hand, Lawrence should receive that benefit of the doubt, and you can make the case that he never got it. Moreover, talking heads shouldn't look down on one to lift the other one higher.

The bottom line is the debate is far from over but you will have a hard time finding an analyst who still thinks C.J. Stroud is a top NFL quarterback.

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