Texans QB C.J. Stroud implies Bryce Young didn’t have enough help in rookie season

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud just said what a lot of Carolina Panthers fans have been thinking.

The 2023 No. 2 overall pick spoke about the 2023 No. 1 overall pick in the latest episode of “The Pivot” podcast. Stroud told hosts and former NFLers Ryan Clark and Channing Crowder that Young was in an unfortunate situation during his rough rookie year.

“In his shoes, I feel like a lot of stuff didn’t go his way, that was out of his control,” Stroud said. “You can’t make a play if somebody don’t block. You can’t make a play if somebody don’t catch a ball. And when you watch the tape, Bryce did a lot great things. He’s gonna be a great player. But it takes time.”

Young, who lost his head coach after 11 games and experienced multiple changes with his offensive coordinator, tossed for just 11 touchdowns to 10 interceptions while averaging 179.8 passing yards per game. He also had to deal with one of the worst, if not the worst receiving corps in the NFL while being sacked 62 times.

His good pal, on the other hand, thrived in Houston. Stroud averaged a league-high 273.9 passing yards a contest, made the Pro Bowl and is a favorite for the Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.

Oh, and his Texans captured the AFC South crown and won a playoff game. Young’s Panthers, on the other hand, finished at a league-worst 2-15.

Stroud expanded on those points.

“I think I came into a situation where we were strugglin’, but we still had a lot of good pieces,” he added. “And Nick Caserio, our GM, brought in a lot of good vets. DeMeco [Ryans] was the perfect coach for our type of team.

“Like I said earlier, everybody’s path is different. Maybe I had a good rookie year, and Bryce is gonna have a great second year. And hopefully I do, too. But I know everything’s gonna be fine for him. And I told him, like, ‘You the one, bruh. You the one for a reason.’”

Hey, at least one of Young’s two wins came against Stroud. That’s worth something, right?