When they last met, Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud and Chicago Bears signal caller Caleb Williams duked it out at NRG Stadium last September. After the Texans walked away with a 19-13 victory, the pair met at midfield.
Stroud offered Williams a piece of advice: stop taking so many hits. The Bears rookie had taken seven sacks during the contest. Williams seemed to brush off his words, only for Stroud to pull him back and tell him to learn from his mistakes.
At the Fanatics Fest in New York City this week, Stroud and Williams were present during a panel session, also featuring legendary quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Eli Manning. Reunited with the rising Bears star, Stroud poked fun at Williams, saying, "I don't know if Caleb likes my advice."
During the 2024 season, Williams was sacked a total of 68 times, the most in the league. Although a poor offensive line took much of the blame, the former No. 1 overall often needed to get rid of the ball rather than trying to extend a play.
Stroud was sacked 52 times during last season, so he knows what it's like to hit the turf, too. The Texans and the Bears both spent much of the offseason reworking their offensive line, hoping to seal the cracks in last season's front lines.
Stroud is looking to bounce back after a lackluster sophomore season after passing for 3,727 yards, 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. His rookie season was a different story, however, so hopefully the Ohio State product has more success on the horizon.