One would think that rookies entering the NFL would bring with them a level of humility.
Yes, these guys are young, but many of them have been playing football their whole lives. And then besides the humility, there’s just the simple fact of being wrong.
Last year’s rookie sensation, Houston Texans quarterback CJ Stroud, is guilty on both fronts. Recently, he had the audacity to go after Aaron Rodgers, a man many reasonably believe might be the most talented passer to ever lace up the boots.
Thankfully, he’s starting to get some pushback. For starters, one of Aaron Rodgers’ former teammates, Super Bowl Champion James Jones, had to give Stroud the business and set the record straight.
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CJ Stroud’s Attack on Rodgers
In the way of background, here’s what CJ Stroud said about Aaron Rodgers.
First, he had a bad – but debatable – opinion. Stroud opined that he would rather have the career that former New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning had than the career Rodgers has had so far. His reasoning? Manning has one more Super Bowl ring than Rodgers.
Now, this is an age-old debate. Are rings more important than personal accolades? Well, it really depends.
Everyone who plays football – everyone – plays to win the Super Bowl. That is the reason the league, and the teams, and all of it exists. (You play to win the game!)
But football is a team sport. The best player of all time isn’t likely to drag a team of losers over the finish line. Hell, sometimes the best team doesn’t even win. There are simply too many factors – injuries, schedule, playing locations, coaching, even equipment – that go into a championship run for a team sport.
So it’s not at all clear that more rings necessarily makes an individual player better than another, though it certainly doesn’t hurt.
And that’s a fine opinion for Stroud to have. He’d rather have two rings and a middling career. It’s a wrong opinion, but fine.
But then Stroud inexplicably seemed to attack Rodgers as a teammate and a person.
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Stroud Attacks Rodgers Personally?
Comparing Rodgers to Tom Brady, Stroud said: “You know what I think it is? I’ve talked to Tom Brady about this because he’s a good mentor to me. What he told me is his teammates, and how he treats his teammates. And that’s where I think it falls off for Rodgers.”
That wasn’t all, though. Stroud also argued that Matthew Stafford is better than Aaron Rodgers.
Which… no.
“If you give Matthew Stafford a chance like Aaron Rodgers had, I guarantee you he might have had more rings. I think he would have like three or four,” Stroud insisted.
Look, Matthew Stafford is a great qb. Definite Hall of Famer in my eyes, especially considering what he accomplished on those awful Detroit teams. (See what I mean about teams in a team sport?) But he ain’t Aaron Rodgers in any respect of the game.
And it looks like former Rodgers teammate and Super Bowl Champion with the Green Bay Packers James Jones agrees with me.
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James Jones Corrects CJ Stroud
“With all due respect to Eli Manning…”
Jones joined Colin Cowherd to talk about Stroud’s comments, arguing that they are absurd.
“You cannot mention Aaron Rodgers name in the same sentence you mention Eli Manning’s name. They are not even close as players. You are talking about a five-time All Pro to zero. You’re talking about a Super Bowl Champion in Aaron Rodgers and a four-time MVP. Look at this graphic.
“Now I know CJ is talking and he’s on a podcast, but I’m sure if CJ’s seen this graphic, he would change his answer.
“Basically what CJ’s saying is, ‘Give me Trent Dilfer over Dan Marino because he’s got one more Super Bowl ring.’
At this point, hilariously, Cowherd couldn’t even keep it together and had to duck down behind his desk to hide his laughter.
Watch, and be sure to check out the stats graphic showing just how lopsided this conversation really is:
My own take – and not just because I’m a homer and an Aaron Rodgers fan – is that Jones has the right of it here.
If you had just one game to play, or one season, or one career, no one in their right mind would be taking Trent Dilfer over Dan Marino.
One has to wonder if Stroud is just looking to hype the upcoming primetime clash between the Texans and Jets, or if he’s really serious. The Eli comparison is one thing, but it seems pretty audacious to attack Rodgers’ character and abilities as a teammate.
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