(Photo by Bobby Ellis/Getty Images)

There was a time, not so long ago, in which people debated whether Peyton Manning was the greatest quarterback in NFL history.

For some, that’s not up for debate, not even after watching Tom Brady take the Vince Lombardi trophy home seven times in his career.

So, it’s safe to say that every time you do better than Manning, you’re on the right path.

That’s the case with No. 2 pick C.J. Stroud, who’s posted better numbers than the Indianapolis Colts legend through the first two games of his professional career, according to StatMuse.

In their first two games:

Manning — Stroud —
42/70 58/91
490 YDS 626 YDS
2 TD 2 TD
6 INT 0 INT pic.twitter.com/TKODagG5Rz

— StatMuse (@statmuse) September 20, 2023

Manning had 42 completions on 70 pass attempts for 490 yards, two touchdowns, and six interceptions.

Stroud, on the other hand, has completed 58 of 91 passes for 626 yards, two touchdowns, and has yet to be picked off this season.

Of course, Manning’s first campaign in the league was nothing short of a disaster, so it’s not like the bar was particularly high.

Still, he managed to turn things around and have the absurd career he had.

This should speak volumes about how patient some teams need to be with their quarterbacks, as well as why it’s so important to give them time and reps to develop their games.

The Houston Texans have gone 0-2 and it seems like this could be a very long season for Stroud, especially behind that shaky offensive line.

Even so, the rookie out of Ohio State has shown some interesting things, and given enough time and opportunities to grow through his mistakes, he should be one of the rising stars in this league in no time.

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