C.J. Stroud had a notable passenger riding shotgun with him on Thursday night -- Amber Rose -- and it's got many wonderin' ... are the two an item?!?
The superstar quarterback and the model competed in the 2024 Cactus Jack Foundation HBCU Celebrity Softball Classic at Minute Maid Park ... and shortly after it ended, they were seen walking toward the same car together.
There were no signs of PDA as they made their way through a gaggle of photogs and fans ... but they sure didn't seem awkward around each other -- sparking dating rumors all over the internet.
Our sources tell us Rose -- who's dated Kanye West and Wiz Khalifa in the past -- is not formally seeing anyone at the moment ... and Stroud is reportedly single too -- so it's all entirely possible.
The one potential hang-up, though ... Rose is 40 years old, and C.J. is just 22 -- but if you've ever seen him play in an NFL game, he's shown plenty of signs that he's mature beyond his years.
Neither, of course, has said anything publicly about it ... so stay tuned.