The problem with early success is that it can set unreasonably high standards, especially for gifted young athletes like Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud. Coming off a magnificent rookie season, Stroud should be considered a top-10 starter in the NFL already. However, some folks are getting a litte carried away with just how good Stroud is going to become.

For example, Stroud’s teammate, Texans wide receiver Tank Dell believes he can be the best quarterback in the league, even better than three-time Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes.

Here’s what Dell shared about Stroud on the I Am Athlete podcast.

“I for sure feel like C.J. got the opportunity to be the best quarterback in the league. Not me just saying that because of who he is to me but just like what I’m seeing him do each and every week. What the world sees, they’re seeing exactly what we’re seeing. How he just coming out there as a 21-year-old man going against grown men, and he’s out here just balling every week. How consistent he is. I feel like C.J. gotta keep doing what he’s doing to bridge the gap between him and Mahomes.”

It’s nice that Dell is supporting his quarterback, but that’s a bridge too far. Mahomes is a 100-year talent at his position and might very well be an alien. Humanoid or not, the odds that Stroud will surpass Mahomes are exceptionally low. That said, Stroud’s ceiling should be about as high as any other starter right now.

The next-best QBs in the game are Buffalo’s Josh Allen and Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson, who are both superior athletes and have higher ceilings than Stroud but are far more reckless with the ball. If Stroud can bump his passing numbers without sacrificing ball security, he could challenge Jackson and Allen in the coming years for the QB2 title.

You can watch the full episode of Dell on I Am Athlete below on Youtube.