C.J. Stroud’s revealing answer about what matters most to his football legacy

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud is already a highly established player in the NFL after only one stellar rookie season.

In the offseason, there have been more feature stories of Stoud’s training and adventures with Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons than his rookie season — his focus is already on what comes next and building his NFL legacy. Stroud has also been active in several interviews that show the kind of player he is.

C.J. Stroud compared the careers of Eli Manning and Aaron Rodgers

On the Million Dollaz Worth of Game podcast, Stroud compared the career of future Hall of Famers Aaron Rodgers and Eli Manning and who he preferred was at least a little surprising.

Stroud mentioned respect for both players, but he ultimately favored the two Super Bowl wins for Manning over the individual success of Rodgers.

There is no doubt that Rogers is a much more established and high-profile quarterback than Manning, but Manning led his team to two huge Super Bowl titles. This includes a win over a previously undefeated New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. Manning won the Super Bowl MVP title twice on top of four Pro Bowl selections and had his No. 10 jersey retired by the Giants.

Rodgers is defined by incredible individual accomplishments throughout his long current career. Rodgers has one Super Bowl title early in his career as well as four regular season MVP awards, four first-team All-Pro selections and 10 Pro Bowl selections. After his Super Bowl run, Rodgers and the Packers appeared in four NFC Conference Championship games, all losses. Rodgers has boasted about success throughout his career and maintains his individual records are his highlights.

Stroud and Texans are ready to win big

There are attributes in Stroud's playing ability and his demeanor that indicate he is more than willing to make sacrifices for his team. This offseason has been a crucial time for Stroud and the Texans. For

Stroud has been looking to develop himself both mentally and physically. For the Texans, they have been adding pieces around the signal-caller to make him an even better quarterback. They have given him a number one legitimate Pro-Bowl running back Joe Mixon, added great weapons and a stable always offensive line. Among the biggest additions on the team and throughout the entire league is the trade for Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs. Digs is a player that can easily help transcend Stroud from Rookie of the Year to legitimate All-Pro quarterback and potential Super Bowl contender.

The Texans shocked everyone when they went out to not only win the division but come close to making a deep run into the postseason. Houston improved on both sides of the ball this offseason, especially on offense with a quarterback already shown he can be one of the best in the league.

Winning has been a big measuring stick for all quarterbacks in the NFL. Rogers is a quarterback who has been defined as dominant during the regular season and has the potential to play as one of the best quarterbacks in the league every year. Manning is a quarterback who has shown at times to be among the top passers. His leadership and his ability to play great in big situations, however, have made him a more established and respected player to Stroud.

If Stroud can lead his team on a dangerous postseason run and potentially win a Super Bowl in year two of his NFL career, he could be among the greats in the league on par with Patrick Mahomes.