After their Week 2 meeting, C.J. Stroud offered words of encouragement to Caleb Williams following the Houston Texans’ victory over the rookie and the Chicago Bears on “Sunday Night Football.”
Stroud, who was mic’d up, shared some advice with Williams that was captured during their postgame handshake.
After a challenging game when Williams endured seven sacks, Stroud urged him to “stop taking those hits” while praising his potential.
He advised Williams to “Learn from those mistakes” and reassured him, “Everything that you got, bro, is in you already. You’re going to be a [heck] of a player in this league.”
Though it seemed like an expression of sportsmanship, the Texans quarterback recently had to clarify his intentions after some criticism of the gesture.
“I was not trying to ‘little bro’ him or anything. He knows that too. I have a ton of respect for him,” Young said, via Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston.
#Texans C.J. Stroud emphasized strongly that he was not ‘little bro’ ing #Bears Caleb Williams whom he has a ton of respect for adding that Williams was just upset that he didn’t win the game and is a competitive guy. He wishes him all the success @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/FCtl7YXd22
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) September 18, 2024
Stroud also explained that his actions were motivated by his experiences as a rookie.
“I had so many guys coming to me after games last year, and that meant the world to me that those guys even thought about giving me advice,” the 22-year-old said. “So, I just try to give back to what the game is giving me. I wish him the best man. I want him to do amazing in this league. I think he will.”
Some fans interpreted Williams’ body language during the exchange as dismissive.
Williams also downplayed the interaction during his postgame press conference, describing it as a routine handshake at the end of a game.
Stroud remained unfazed by Williams’ response, understanding that the Bears quarterback was likely frustrated after the loss.
