Bryce Young Calls out People Doubting CJ Stroud Following Consecutive Divisional Round Losses

Bryce Young believes that the media enjoys criticizing CJ Stroud even though the Texans QB has shown that he can be a top quarterback in the NFL

Bryce Young Calls out People Doubting CJ Stroud Following Consecutive Divisional Round Losses

CJ Stroud and Bryce Young inside the circle (Image via IMAGO)

In Short
  • Bryce Young defended CJ Stroud amid criticism following his poor performance in the playoffs.
  • Young emphasized that the quarterback position involves team dynamics and external pressures.
  • Analysts speculate the Texans may consider trading Stroud, with potential interest from the Steelers.

If there’s one quarterback in the NFL who understands the mess CJ Stroud is in, that’s Bryce Young. Both have been competing against each other since high school and were drafted first and second overall in 2023.

Stroud recorded one of the best rookie seasons in NFL history, while Young struggled behind a choppy Carolina offensive line. By their second year, Stroud displayed signs of deterioration. The Texans qualified for the playoffs thanks to their top-3 defense.

His form hit a new low in the recently concluded season. Stroud completed 3041 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions. During the wildcard fixture against the Patriots, he put up a career-low pass completion rate (42.6%) and threw 4 interceptions.

Right after the game, former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky on ESPN claimed that 31 other quarterbacks would have performed better in Stroud’s place. That’s just the tip of the iceberg. Critics urged the Texans to trade Stroud instead of picking up his fifth-year option.

Young is among the few who have supported the Ohio State graduate through this difficult phase. Speaking on Ryan Clark‘s The Pivot Podcast, Young took a swipe at the media by stating that some journalists will stoop very low to get clicks on their platform. He knows that Stroud has the potential to be a great quarterback in the NFL.

People act like they haven’t watched him go dominate in the league, we’ve seen it. Also, one thing, the quarterback position, in general, this is one of the rare, you can’t call ISO on [every snap] in the NFL. It’s 11 on 11 one side of the ball and the other. We all sign up for that criticism. We all sign for that credit. We all want to take the bullet for the team, that’s our job. But at the end of the day… We can’t control everything. We know what [CJ] does.

Bryce Young said

Young, meanwhile, increased his stock last year. He is finally beginning to move out of the draft bust category with confident performances under Dave Canales‘ system. He led the Panthers to their first playoff appearance in a while after edging out the NFC South crown on the final day of the regular season. They nearly upset the Rams in the wildcard round. Young threw and rushed for touchdowns, while Chuba Hubbard scored a couple. However, an untimely interception by the Rams’ defense tipped the outcome in their favor. It finished 34-31.

NFL analyst predicts the Texans to receive offers for CJ Stroud

NFL players have been cut for a lot less in the past. While Stroud is only 24 and still in the developing phase, nothing is keeping the Texans from treating him like Sam Darnold.

Bryce Young Calls out People Doubting CJ Stroud Following Consecutive Divisional Round Losses pittsburgh steelers
CJ Stroud (Image via IMAGO)

Sports Illustrated‘s Connor Orr certainly believes that the Texans might be open to trading Stroud for the right value. And that value could come from the Pittsburgh Steelers.

I’m not saying Houston will pick up, but I am saying that the Texans will receive a phone call. Stroud is the perfect pipe-dream reclamation project for a Steelers team that never plans to rebuild and is still probably too good to project for a top-10 pick in 2027.

According to Orr, a first-round pick should be enough to lure Stroud to the Steel City. Orr also provided a short-term fix for the Texans. He highlighted that there are several experienced veterans available in the free market. Jimmy Garoppolo or Russell Wilson can hold down the fort until Houston finds a long-term solution.

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