C.J. Stroud shared words of encouragement with Caleb Williams after Sunday Night Football game

Sunday night got the primetime treatment as reigning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year CJ Stroud and No. 1 pick Caleb Williams squared off for the first time. Ultimately, it was Stroud’s Houston Texans who came out on top, defeating Williams’ Chicago Bears 19-13 on Sunday Night Football.

While shaking hands afterward, the two shared a moment. Stroud was wearing a microphone, though, which means NFL Films caught the exchange.

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Williams faced plenty of pressure from a staunch Texans defensive front as the Bears’ offensive line continued its struggles. Stroud encouraged him to keep his head up and learn from the game – and he reassured the former USC star he has a bright future.

.@CJ7STROUD had some words of encouragement for @CALEBcsw.

"You're gonna be a hell of a player in this league." 🤝 pic.twitter.com/EkGCMOl0ew

— NFL (@NFL) September 17, 2024

“Good job out there, bro,” Stroud said. “Hey, stop taking those hits. … Learn from those mistakes, and everything that you’ve got, bro, is in you already, bro. You’re gonna be a hell of a player in this league.”

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Williams was sacked seven times during Sunday’s game. When he had enough time to throw, he completed 23 of 37 yards for 174 yards, but threw two interceptions. He also failed to find the end zone for the second straight game to start his career.

As for Stroud, the Bears defense did a good job containing the second-year quarterback. He went 23 of 36 for 260 yards and a touchdown while the defense sacked him three times.

Caleb Williams ‘a little bruised up’ after Texans game

It’s been an up-and-down start to Williams’ career. He only threw for 92 yards in the season opener against the Tennessee Titans, but looked good against Houston when the pocket was clean. However, that was a rare occurrence as the Bears’ offensive line struggled against Will Anderson, Danielle Hunter and the Texans – allowing 36 pressures on the night.

Williams acknowledged the toll the hits had on him, but said he planned to go through the proper recovery techniques. He could face a better matchup next week against an Indianapolis Colts team that could be without DeForest Buckner, who’s dealing with an ankle sprain.

“A little bruised up,” Williams said, via Yahoo! Sports’ Charles Robinson. “You know, I took a couple hits today. I’m gonna get into the ice tub and do all the things I need to do to make sure that my body’s ready for tomorrow, practice on the other days and obviously next game.”