Last September, C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans faced Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears at NRG Stadium, and the Texans came away with a 19-13 win.
After the game, Stroud met Williams at midfield and instructed him to avoid taking so many hits, as the Bears rookie was sacked seven times in the affair. Williams appeared to brush off the comment, which led to Stroud pulling him back and telling him to learn from his mistakes.
Well, Stroud and Williams were present at Fanatics Fest this week, and during a panel discussion that also included Bryce Young and legendary quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Eli Manning, Stroud threw a rather playful jab at Williams.
Williams ended up being sacked 68 times in total last season, and while poor offensive line play was obviously a major factor in the former No. 1 overall pick being driven into the turf so many times, he sometimes just needs to get rid of the football instead of trying to stretch out a play.
Heck, Stroud himself was sacked 52 times in 2024, so he definitely knows what it's like to take hits. That's why both the Texans and the Bears spent a whole lot of time reworking their offensive lines over the last several months.
Stroud is aiming to bounce back from a disappointing sophomore year in which he threw for 3,727 yards, 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. That followed a historically great rookie campaign, so perhaps the Ohio State product has big things in store for 2025.
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