Neither C.J. Stroud nor Caleb Williams seems to hold any bad blood about the awkward postgame handshake between them that went viral following the Houston Texans’ win over the Chicago Bears during Week 2 of last season.
Stroud took a joking jab at Williams on stage Saturday during Fanatics’ “Franchise Faces” panel in New York City when host Kay Adams asked him about the advice he would give to the Bears quarterback heading into the second season of his NFL career.
“I don’t know if Caleb likes my advice,” Stroud said, both he and Williams laughing.
Stroud’s joke referenced his on-field interaction with Williams in the postgame of their Week 2 clash during the 2024 season. After meeting him for a handshake, Stroud tried to offer words of advice and encouragement to Williams, who looked uninterested.
“Good job out there, bro. Hey, stop taking these hits,” Stroud told Williams, who agreed and started to walk away before Stroud pulled him back. “Look, come here. Learn from those mistakes and everything that you got, bro, is already in you, bro. You going to be a hell of a player in the league.”
The clip quickly went viral and grew into a bigger story than necessary as analysts and reactionary media types overanalyzed the exchange from both sides. Stroud even later clarified that he was not trying to “little bro” Williams in his efforts to give him advice.
Maybe now that they have laughed about it together, everyone else can chill out.
C.J. Stroud Gave Caleb Williams Thoughtful Advice
GettyTexans quarterback C.J. Stroud shakes hands with Bears’ Caleb Williams.
Stroud had his funny throwaway line about his awkward exchange with Williams that both seemed to appreciate, but he also gave a more thoughtful answer about the advice he would give to Williams as he prepares for his second NFL season with the Bears.
“Honestly, like I just said, teams, they prepare more, they know what you’re good at, they try to just cut that off,” Stroud explained.
“It’s like playing basketball. If you find out a guy can’t go left, they’re gonna try to force you left. So whatever your weaknesses are, whatever you’ve put on tape and film, that’s what defensive coordinators are watching every single day. They’re just trying to find twists in schemes. The main thing is they want you to extend plays every time, and if you learn how to sit in the pocket and … if it’s not there, bro, just get it out your hand.”
Stroud also emphasized one of the points he made to Williams in Week 2 about trying to avoid taking hits. Williams finished his rookie season as the most-sacked quarterback in the NFL, going down an absurd 68 times, but Stroud finished second at 52 sacks.
“I think I told you on the field, the less hits you take, the better,” Stroud said. “The more you can get down, get rid of the ball, check it down and just be smart, that’s the advice I would give. I think you’re going to do great, like you’ve always done.”
Expectations Much Higher for Caleb Williams in 2025
Williams had a tumultuous rookie season with the Bears in 2024 that many are willing to blame as much on the team and his supporting cast as on the quarterback himself, but the expectations for the former No. 1 overall pick are much higher ahead of 2025.
The Bears went to work building a better structure around Williams during the 2025 offseason. They hired an offensive-minded head coach in Ben Johnson, who, in turn, brought in a brain trust of assistants whom he believes will assist in the young passer’s development. They made trades and signings to repopulate their interior offensive line with three new veteran starters: Joe Thuney, Drew Dalman and Jonah Jackson.
Chicago even invested its first three picks of the 2025 NFL draft into offense, adding pass-catchers Colston Loveland and Luther Burden III and left tackle Ozzy Trapilo.
Now, Williams will have a smaller margin for error in 2025. There will be learning bumps as he adjusts to new personnel and Johnson’s detail-focused offense, but the Bears must see tangible growth out of him this season to continue feeling good about his long-term fit with their franchise. He doesn’t need to throw for 4,000 yards, but he does need to be a reason why the Bears win football games in 2025.
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