The NFL began its seventh week of the “NFL Top 100” on Monday. This week, players 31-40 will be revealed, and players Nos. 39-40 kicked off the week. Player No. 39 is yet another player the Arizona Cardinals will face as an opponent in 2025.
That player is Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud. He is No. 39 after debuting after his rookie season at No. 20 last year.
NFL Top 100 Players of 2025:@HoustonTexans QB C.J. Stroud is ranked No. 39! @NFLFilmspic.twitter.com/bmYzuki47O
— NFL (@NFL) August 11, 2025
Texans defensive end Will Anderson spoke about Stroud’s leadership, noting that every player knows who is in charge when Stroud walks in a room.
Stroud came into his second season “playing like a vet,” Anderson added. He said that teams “know he can sling the ball.”
In two NFL seasons, he has led the Texans to two division titles and two playoff wins.
Teammate Nico Collins, a receiver, says Stroud “is the best quarterback” in his eyes.
He completed 63.2% of his passes last season for 3,727 yards, 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. In his 2023 appearance against the Cardinals, he passed for 336 yards and two touchdowns, but hw was picked off three times, his only career three-interception game.
The Cardinals will face Stroud and the Texans on the road in Week 15.
‘NFL Top 100’ opponents for Cardinals in 2025
Of the players in the top 100 revealed as of this week, the Cardinals face the following:
- QB C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans (No. 39)
- WR Puka Nacua, LA Rams (No. 41)
- WR Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (No. 44)
- OL Trent Williams, San Francisco 49ers (No. 45)
- DE Will Anderson, Houston Texans (No. 46)
- QB Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (No. 50)
- OLB Jared Verse, LA Rams (No. 53)
- DE Nick Bosa, San Francisco 49ers (No. 57)
- RB Joe Mixon, Houston Texans (No. 58)
- QB Matthew Stafford, LA Rams (No. 59)
- RB Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons (No. 62)
- DE Josh Hines-Allen, Jacksonville Jaguars (No. 63)
- QB Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers (No. 68)
- QB Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks (No. 72)
- RB Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers (No. 73)
- DT Vita Vea, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (No. 75)
- WR Tee Higgins, Cincinnati Bengals (No. 77)
- QB Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys (No. 79)
- DE Rashan Gary, Green Bay Packers (No. 80)
- RB Kyren Williams, LA Rams (No. 85)
- S Jessie Bates III, Atlanta Falcons (No. 92)
- LB Lavonte David, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (No. 96)
- WR Drake London, Atlanta Falcons (No. 97)
- DL Leonard Williams, Seattle Seahawks (No. 99)
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This article originally appeared on Cards Wire: Arizona Cardinals to face player No. 39 of ‘NFL Top 100’ in 2025