C.J. Stroud Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Houston Texans star quarterback C.J. Stroud may be a rookie, but he sure isn’t playing like one. And as the Denver Broncos prepare to take on the Texans this weekend, head coach Sean Payton has taken notice of how Stroud is playing well beyond his years.

During his press conference this week, Sean Payton said that C.J. Stroud does not necessarily look like a rookie quarterback, but a player who is “savvy and experienced” leading a talented team.

“He’s playing well,” Payton said in his press conference. “When you watch him play, you feel like you’re watching someone who’s savvy and experienced. You don’t feel like, necessarily, you’re watching someone in their first year. He’s confident.

“It’s a dangerous team that way. You’ve got young players and I’ve been through it before with a draft where they have the young receiver, Tank [Dell], who’s playing well, the defensive end from Alabama [Will Anderson] is playing well, the quarterback — and they’re having success and they’re 6-5. And so, you definitely see the explosives on tape. They’ve been down late, come back. There’s a confidence they have that certainly is contagious and you can certainly see it on film. But he’s been impressive.”

It will be a tough matchup for the Broncos. We’ll have to see how they fare.

[Pro Football Talk]