Houston Texans rookie signal-caller and apparent franchise quarterback continues to take the NFL by storm with how he has performed in his first campaign as a pro. The Texans selected the Ohio State product with the No. 2 overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft and have not looked back since. Ohio State University has become known for producing underwhelming quarterback prospects over the years, but Stroud is defying all odds through the first nine weeks of the 2023 season, including

The Ringer’s Bill Simmons.Simmons pegged Stroud as a “bust” before the Texans selected Stroud and that take could not be aging much worse after Stroud just had arguably the greatest single-game performance by a rookie in NFL history to lead the Texans to an impressive comeback victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Stroud had a record-setting performance in the Texans’ 39-37 win over the Buccaneers, completing 30 of his 42 pass attempts for 470 yards and five touchdowns. Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Stroud set the NFL record for passer rating in a single game by a rookie quarterback (147.8), passing yards by a rookie in a game (470), and became the youngest player ever to have at least 450 passing yards in a game.

Additionally, Stroud became just the sixth player in NFL history to throw for at least 450 yards and five touchdowns without throwing an interception in a game, highlighting that Stroud’s performance was legendary on more than just a rookie-level scale.

Simmons isn’t the only person who had their doubts about Stroud. While it has been just eight games, it is fair to assume that any potential doubts about his status as a long-term franchise quarterback have been wiped away following his stunning effort against the Buccaneers in Week 9.