It can’t hurt a rookie quarterback to have his new team’s starting left tackle on his side.
Especially when that tackle carries the cache of Laremy Tunsil, who became the highest-paid offensive tackle in NFL history earlier this offseason. The three-time Pro Bowler and fourth-year Houston Texan has clearly taken a liking to C.J. Stroud, who the franchise selected No. 2 overall in April, and isn’t keeping his support for the former Buckeye passer a secret.
While Stroud has yet to be named Houston’s Week 1 starter, Tunsil recently posted an Instagram story featuring a picture of him and the first-year quarterback with the caption “QB1” and the “fingers crossed” emoji. The image indicated where Tunsil thinks – or at least hopes – Stroud will be by the start of the season, as well as the close nature of the pair.
In an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show last week, Tunsil expounded on his feelings about Stroud, who he said has displayed all the necessary intangibles to be a star in the NFL sooner or later.
“He handles himself well, he came into the building with these unbelievable leadership skills, and he’s killing it, man,” Tunsil said. “How I describe C.J. is a dog. He’s a straight dog. He comes in there ready to work. He handles the huddle perfectly. And he goes out there and balls. And you have to appreciate that, especially a young quarterback like C.J.”
Amid Stroud’s second week of OTAs in Houston back in June, Texans quarterback coach Jerrod Johnson said Stroud is "already way, way ahead of pace,” and it appears Tunsil agrees. Stroud’s progress should only continue if he maintains that aforementioned work ethic and keeps winning over important members of the locker room.
During a recent interview with Click2Houston, Stroud said he and Tunsil have actually spent time together off the field as well. Even before that, Stroud said, “Laremy was the first person to hit me up once I got drafted.”
“For him to do that, just being such a great player and such a special person, I was really appreciative of everything that he said to me. And I know he’s the type of person that he doesn’t say stuff just to say it,” Stroud said. “He really means it. And I really appreciate him for everything and I know that we’re gonna be great teammates together. We already have a really good connection, have hung out multiple times and really excited to get to work with him. And on top of that, just be friends, just be brothers. I think that’s better than being teammates. So I’m really excited to work with Laremy.”
"he came into the building with these unbelievable leadership skills, and he’s killing it, man. How I describe C.J. is a dog. He’s a straight dog."– Laremy Tunsil on C.J. Stroud
As important as Stroud’s on-field development will be to his immediate future as a potential starter in the NFL, the California native is also making every effort to cultivate his leadership ability off the gridiron. Stroud seemed just as excited about the opportunity to continue building relationships with his teammates as he did the start of training camp, which begins later this month.
“(Training camp is just) getting better. Not only getting myself better, but getting everyone around me better. Been throwing with my guys, have a couple events that I’m gonna go to with them and be able to have some chemistry, some team-bonding events with them,” Stroud said. “And I’m excited to do that because at the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about. The closest teams are the best teams. So super excited to be able to work with such great people, and that’s what it’s all about, that’s how you win. So just trying to build a really tight-knit team and I want to be the forefront of that along with my other teammates.”
Despite appearing to pass the eye test on the field and saying all the right things off of it, Stroud remains embroiled in a quarterback competition with last year’s starter, Davis Mills. It’s only a matter of time before Stroud gets his shot to operate the Houston offense, but for now, head coach Demeco Ryans is content to let him earn it in the offseason.
The Texans selected Mills in the third round of the 2021 NFL draft, but the Stanford product holds just a 5-19-1 record as Houston’s starter under center over the past two seasons. As the No. 2 overall pick this past spring, Stroud is primed to be the face of the Texans’ franchise, assuming he can live up to the billing.
“With C.J. and with all of our players, no one has a defined starting role right now,” Ryans said earlier this summer. “Just want to see continued improvement from our guys, right? Are you improving and are you accountable to your teammates? Can we all count on you to make the proper decisions and make plays? Ultimately, help us win football games. For the guys on our team who can put us in the best position to win games, those are the guys who I want out there.”
As for Stroud’s own assessment of his play, he believes he’s been solid so far but thinks another level is within reach once training camp gets underway toward the end of July.
“I feel like I’ve done well,” Stroud told Click2Houston on Sunday. “(Organized team activities and minicamp) was something I wanted to just put my best in and just be a great leader as well as a great player, soak in the playbook, soak in coaching and be as best I can. I think that was a good start, a good routine to get into training camp and do better there.”
