Comparison is the thief of joy. So unfortunately for Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud (and particularly for Young at the very moment), they’ll always be compared.
Young got a taste of that on Wednesday, when he was asked about the early success of his friend and fellow rookie quarterback. And unsurprisingly, he gave the best answer he possibly could have.
Buy Panthers Tickets“It’s been really fun just to watch him as a fan of his game and being able to watch him have success means a lot,” Young said. “I’m close with him, he’s a great person on and off the field. Being able to watch him have success, it’s really fun to root him on. So, it’s been really cool to watch him have the success he’s had, watch all the positive stuff he’s been able to put on tape and all the good things he’s been doin’. It’s really great to see.”
Stroud, who was selected with the No. 2 overall pick of the 2023 draft, has burst onto the scene. The NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Month for September currently has his Houston Texans at a respectable 2-2 mark, having already passed for 1,212 yards, six touchdowns and no interceptions.
The pro life, however, hasn’t been as kind to the No. 1 overall pick. Young, in three winless outings, has thrown for just 503 yards, two scores and two picks.
Nonetheless, Young—as he’s always stated—is staying focused on what he can control.
“For me, I’m big on kinda runnin’ my own race,” he later added. “We’re all kinda super supportive of each other within. With him, he’d say the same thing. We’re all supportive and just wanna see each other shine. I have to focus on myself and tryin’ to be better and improving. And to do that, I have to put energy into myself and I have to earn that right.
“But at the same time, I’m always rootin’ for him. Again, it’s great to see. But I just try to run my own race. For whatever reason is going on, I try to control what I can control.”
