CJ Stroud responds resolutely about the potential of being drafted by Chicago Bears

Once again, a quarterback from The Ohio State University is set to be a top pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. This time, CJ Stroud is the man in the mix as a top QB prospect in the 2023 cycle after he started in the two years since fellow former Buckeye Justin Fields left school to be a first-round selection back in 2021.

Two seasons into Fields’ career after being picked by the Chicago Bears and his team finished last place in the NFL in 2022, giving them the first pick in the draft. Since this class is viewed as strong in the quarterback department, some scouts and analysts have wondered if the Bears ought to go ahead and take another quarterback since they haven’t had very much success with Fields. One option if the Bears do go down that path: Fields’ OSU replacement CJ Stroud.

However, Stroud himself put an end to that idea this week by asserting that he would not like to be picked first by Chicago, since that team belongs to his buddy.

“I mean, nah, I don’t want to go there,” Stroud said. “That’s his team. I can do my thing. I can go build my legacy. He texted me yesterday morning. Me and him are brothers for life.”

Pretty cut and dry answer there from CJ Stroud. He then went on to take up for Fields amid the difficult situation he was drafted into.

“I was proud of him. There’s so many times when you get knocked down, but I feel like a true man’s character is when you get knocked down, you get up. And he’s got up every time, and he’s stepped up to the plate, and he hasn’t blamed anybody; he hasn’t pointed no fingers; and he hasn’t done anything. As a human, that just shows you what type of man he is and what type of family he comes from.”

After watching Fields get hit over and over again this past year, Stroud has sympathy for his former teammate.

“It’s hard, man. You get hit so many times hard in the face. You have to make plays using your feet, and he ain’t no damn running back. He’s a quarterback. He can sling that rock. I’m going to stand up for my brother every time, and he’s going to do great things in his career, and I’m excited to play with him (in the NFL).”

There you have it. For anyone thinking the Bears should cut ties with Fields and draft another QB, CJ Stroud is adamant Chicago needs to stand by their man.