'Young Dude's League!': Texans Rookie C.J. Stroud Dazzles At NFL Skills Challenge
C.J. Stroud might have been one the last names added to the Pro Bowl roster in Orlando, but he was one of the first big winners Thursday evening during the skills competition.
Stroud, the Houston Texans star quarterback and franchise face, got the ball rolling with his performance in the Precision Passing skills challenge against Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield.
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While hitting targets— some moving and some stationary — Stroud showed off his well-known accuracy by building up on the points. Depending on the base of the throw, various spots offered more value in terms of point total.
Stroud beating out his fellow AFC quarterbacks Tua Tagovailoa from Miami and Gardner Minshew from Indianapolis to advance to the finals against Mayfield, who had eliminated the Eagles' Jalen Hurts and the Seahawks' Geno Smith.
Stroud, the favorite to win Offensive Rookie of the Year, tossed a golden football against a moving target down the sidelines. He later picked up a gain of 20 on an off-platform pass 20 yards downfield across his body.
In the first round, Stroud finished with a day-leading 26 points. Mayfield, who guided Tampa Bay back to the postseason in his first year, finished with 24 points in Round 1. Minshew finished with 21 and Smith with 20. Tagovailoa nor Hurts scored 16 and 17 points, respectively.
In the final round. Stroud had a chance to pick up victory but chose to go for the deep pass 50 yards downfield for 10 points. The ball just missed at the front leading to an eventual 9-8 win for Mayfield.
After securing the victory, Mayfield and Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown hit Stroud's famous Squabble celebration. Technically St. Brown was the only person to hit the Squabble, but Mayfield did do his own celebratory dance.
Stroud, meanwhile, got in on the action before the finals, reminding Mayfield he's only a rookie and just getting started.
“I’ve got a lot of respect for Bake, I’ve been watching him since college, but it’s a young dude’s league, so I’ve got to go take over,” the 22-year-old Stroud said.
Stroud, who helped Houston secure a 7-win turnaround in 2023, completed 63.9 percent of his passes for 4,108 yards and 23 touchdowns, with only five interceptions. He also became the fifth passer to throw for 4000-plus yards in their first season.
