The Houston Texans had no problem disposing of the New England Patriots when the two teams met up in Week 6, defeating them by a score of 41-21. On one sideline, we had C.J. Stroud, a second-year quarterback who took the league by storm as a rookie, winning Offensive Rookie of the Year and helping lead his team to a division title and playoff win.
On the other sideline sat rookie quarterback Drake Maye, who was making his NFL starting debut for the Patriots. These two quarterbacks had a few things in common with the easiest shared trait being that they were both first-round picks and both taken in the top-three. Stroud went second overall to Houston in 2023 while Maye was the third overall pick in this year's draft, joining the struggling Patriots.
Following the win, Stroud continued his trend of talking up his fellow quarterback, telling Maye to learn from his mistakes. Stroud also applauded Maye for his first-ever start and told him to "Keep going".
C.J. Stroud applauds Drake Maye's efforts in classy post-game interaction
This isn't the first time that Stroud has given his opposing quarterback a pep talk. He told Caleb Williams that he'd "be a hell of a player" in the NFL and now he's lifting up Maye as well.
This is just another thing to add as to why Stroud is such a likable guy. He doesn't have to be polite to his fellow quarterbacks. He could easily give them a bro hug, say "Good game" and be on his way to the locker room but he chooses to give them words of encouragement because that's the kind of guy Stroud is.
Maye's team might have gotten blown out but he did all right in his NFL starting debut, throwing for 265 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions. The Texans defense made things difficult on him but he showed glimpses of what made him a top-three pick in the draft.
It's cool to see Stroud becoming a mentor in the league despite only being in his second year. The Houston Texans truly have a great individual as their quarterback.