Although the Houston Texans drafted rookie QB C.J. Stroud as the No.2 overall draft pick, they couldn’t have expected a better outcome than last season. Having secured the Offensive Rookie of the Year award and Pro Bowler status after Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen decided to drop out. C.J. Stroud would be hoping for a similar season in a seemingly tough second year as a pro.

Speaking about Stroud on Pat McAfee’s show, the Texans GM Nick Caserio had a warning for the QB, “It’s gonna get harder. Anybody that is in the league year one will have success. But you have to realize what happened the previous year in the end will not have any bearing on the current year.” Although Caserio was quick to caution his QB, he did mention some of the things Stroud might have improved on going into the second season.

“He’s probably improved the most in leadership and ownership of the offense of the team. He wants to be great and going back to holding people accountable, establishing his standard,” Caserio conveyed. Well, Stroud did have some doubters, but they were nowhere to be seen after he became the fifth rookie to pass 4,000 yards in a season.

But the Texans GM didn’t stop on his praises as he went on to mention his overall impact on the team, “I think his relationship with his teammates, not only his offensive side of the ball but the defensive side of the ball, has continued to grow.” Looking back, Caserio might not be wrong because Stroud had a huge impact, especially on the wide receivers. Nico Collins notched up his career-high 1,297 receiving yards playing for the first time with the QB.

At the same time, rookie WR Tank Dell and Stroud were prolific as a duo, as they combined for the eighth-most passing yards last season. On the back of such sublime numbers, his teammate Collins also pointed out Stroud’s talents, “When the game slows down for him, and he figures out it’s just football at the end of the day, it’s going to be a scary sight. The sky’s the limit for him. I can’t wait to see it.” Well, even us fans are waiting for Stroud to produce yet another stellar season. But his head coach, DeMeco Ryans, has also cautioned the QB ahead of a tough second year.

Texans coach DeMeco Ryans warning C.J. Stroud of a possible trap

DeMeco Ryans had a huge role to play in Stroud’s sensational rookie season, where he posted 4,108 yards, 23 TDs and 5 interceptions to finish his first year as a pro. But Ryans also conveyed a possible trap that the rookie could fall into if he isn’t careful, “They think they have that I made it moment. Nobody has ever made it.” Citing his reason, as a former NFL player, the Texans HC referred to instances when the rookies took their foot off the gas pedal.

But Ryans wants his QB to work harder while improving on his skills from last season, which helped him complete 63.9% of his passes. Even Stroud was humble while expressing his performances last season, “I think last year, I wasn’t able to do that much. I was meeting every team. Going through offense after offense. Meeting a new coordinator. Meeting a new head coach the next week.”

Meanwhile, he has shown excitement coming into the second season for the Houston’s, stating, “Now, I’m coming into the same offense, and I get to slow down and really get better at what we’re trying to get done this next year. So I’m really excited about that.” Talking about excitement, the Texans have added Stefon Diggs and Joe Mixon to their roster, which ranked 23rd last season in rushing offense.

However, the question is, will Stroud continue where he left off last season by turning a four-win Texans into playoff contenders? Or will the pressure of the second season take its toll on the QB while leading the line from the center?

Take a look at Chris Gronkowski’s NFL journey as he took us through the experiences he shared with other NFL players in our Dual Threat Podcast with BG12.