Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud. Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

C.J. Stroud addresses viral clip with Caleb Williams after Texans’ win over Bears

By Jeff Smith | Last updated Sep 19, 2024 8:22 AM ET

The Caleb Williams era for the Chicago Bears has gotten off to a rocky start. While the Bears are 1-1 heading into Week 3 of the 2024 NFL season, they have their defense and special teams to thank for avoiding a winless start.

Chicago's Week 2 matchup with the Houston Texans provided several intriguing storylines, but none more noteworthy than this year's No. 1 pick in Caleb Williams, squaring off with the 2023 No. 2 overall selection, C.J. Stroud.

Unfortunately for the Bears, even holding one of the league's up-and-coming stars in Stroud and the Texans offense to 19 points wasn't enough, as they fell 19-13. It also marked a second tough outing for Williams, who completed 23-of-37 passes for 174 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions.

Following the game, a clip of Stroud attempting to give Williams advice went viral, as the Bears quarterback didn't appear overly interested in the conversation.

Stroud addressed the moment on Wednesday while speaking with reporters, insisting that he wasn't "little bro'ing" Williams while giving him a pep talk following the game, as Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 revealed. Stroud also noted that he didn't take any disrespect from the way Williams handled the interaction, saying the rookie was just upset about losing the game.

#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 numerous players came to him after games during his rookie season, and stated that he's attempting to do the same now in his second season.

While Williams has struggled through the very early stages of his NFL career, Stroud mostly hit the ground running, even leading the Texans to the playoffs and a postseason victory. He's now 11-6 as a starter during the regular season, and through two games this year, has completed 69.1 percent of his passes for 494 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions.

As Williams is still seeking his first NFL touchdown pass, taking any advice Stroud offers would be a wise move for the former USC star.

Jeff Smith

Jeff Smith has extensive experience as a sports writer and editor, including stops at ESPN, FOX Sports, CBS Sports, USA TODAY SMG, and Heavy. Jeff's passion for sports content starts and finishes with writing and he's grateful to be able to work in that field on a daily basis.

More must-reads: