Houston, Texas: C.J. Stroud Named AFC Offensive Player of the Week After Five Touchdown Game

The NFL named Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud the AFC Offensive Player of the Week on Wednesday, the team announced, honoring his five touchdown game in the 44-22 win at the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.

It is the fifth time in Stroud's career that he has won the award and the second time this season. He is the first player in the league to win it more than once this season, and the first to do so since Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen in 2025, the Texans said.

The game that earned it

Stroud completed 21 of 35 passes for 384 yards and five touchdowns at SoFi Stadium, with a passer rating of 125.5. He added two runs for 20 yards, NBC Sports reported. Houston scored on its first drive, an eight-play, 73-yard march on which Stroud completed all five of his passes for 53 yards and finished with a touchdown throw to Xavier Hutchinson, according to Texans Wire.

The five touchdown passes tied his career high. It was the second time in his career that he threw for at least 350 yards and five touchdowns in one game, and the first since November 5, 2023, when he did it as a rookie against Tampa Bay, the Texans said.

His 384 yards and five touchdowns led every quarterback in the league in Week 9. His rating was the third highest of the week, and he was the only AFC quarterback to pass for more than 300 yards. Houston's 44 points were the highest total in the AFC in Week 9 and tied the most the Texans have ever scored in a road game.

A season near the top of the AFC

Through nine weeks, Stroud has completed 181 of 282 passes, 64.2 percent, for 2,251 yards and 16 touchdowns, with a passer rating of 104.8, FOX 26 Houston reported. He leads the AFC with a touchdown to interception ratio of 8.0. He is tied for the conference lead with 32 completions of 20 yards or more, ranks second in passing yards per game at 281.4 and stands third in passer rating.

Stroud, the former NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, is now the second Texans player to win the weekly award at least five times, joining Deshaun Watson. Houston plays at Cleveland next, with kickoff at noon on FOX, Texans Wire reported.

The other Week 9 winners

Kansas City defensive tackle Chris Jones won the AFC defensive award for Week 9, and Jacksonville kicker Cam Little won the special teams award, the NFL announced with the Stroud honor.