Much has been made of the fact that Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud has yet to appear on the NFL's Top-100 list through 40 selections so far.
The quarterbacks who've already landed on this year's list are:
- No. 98: Bryce Young (Carolina Panthers)
- No. 85: Brock Purdy (San Francisco 49ers)
- No. 77: Baker Mayfield (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
- No. 72: Jordan Love (Green Bay Packers)
- No. 69: Lamar Jackson (Baltimore Ravens)
- No. 62: Trevor Lawrence (Jacksonville Jaguars)
With 60 selections left, skepticism would suggest that the fourth-year signal caller will face stiff competition for a place on this year's slate of premier playmakers. Some in the media, like Houston sports analyst Big Sarge, would prefer it for Stroud to miss out on this year's festivities, as he thinks it would potentially encourage a more motivated version of the field general heading into 2026.
However, ESPN Texans reporter D.J. Bien-Aime is starkly opposed to any validation of the list. Appearing on today's episode of my We Want Houston Podcast, Bein-Aime boldly challenged anyone who adheres to the list, and the thought of any "motivating" that would happen for a player as a result of a specified outcome.
D.J. Bien-Aime believes that C.J. Stroud shouldn't need the list
"To put a caveat on top of all of it: if that list is what motivates you, then you're not the guy," proclaimed Bien-Aime in a clip of his statement posted to Instagram. He followed up with,
"Now if you're looking for a slight little edge, like Mahomes being fourth on the list one time. And you're using that slight little edge? Alright cool, that's different. But if this is what's gonna make you play 'angry', then eh. And on top of that, you can't play football angry at quarterback."
In short, Bein-Aime surmised that the perceived "need" for Stroud to end up on the Top-100 list in 2026 is a fabricated narrative that acts as a breeding ground for misplaced expectations.
Stroud should already have enough internal motivation as it is, considering he's playing for a new contract and how he's trying to resuscitate his public image after one of the worst displays of playoff quarterbacking in the history of the NFL last season.
While national pundits are creating a litany of storylines and television fodder by way of the results of the list, individuals like Bien-Aime have their eyes set on the on-field results that are set to happen in less than two months. Legacies are made on the football field, not on a spreadsheet dictated by one's closest peers.
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