Stroud: I wasn't trying to 'little bro' Williams in SNF exchange

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud said he wasn't trying to demean Chicago Bears rookie Caleb Williams during their postgame exchange Sunday night.

The moment between the two signal-callers went viral on social media, with Williams being scrutinized for attempting to pull away from the conversation prematurely, which led to Stroud signaling for him to come back.

The Texans quarterback advised the No. 1 overall pick to "stop taking those hits" after Williams was sacked seven times in Houston's 19-13 victory. Stroud also told Williams that he was going to be a "hell of a player" in the NFL.

"I was not trying to little bro him or anything. He knows that, too. I have a ton of respect for him," Stroud said Wednesday, according to ESPN's DJ Bien-Aime. "I had so many guys coming to me after games last year, and that meant the world to me that those guys even thought about giving me advice."

The Texans signal-caller added that he didn't believe Williams was trying to disrespect him and was just upset over losing.

"I totally understand," Stroud added. "So, I have a ton of respect for that guy, man."

Williams has struggled to find his groove through his first two NFL games. The Bears rookie has completed 56.1% of his passes for 267 yards with two interceptions. He has yet to throw a touchdown pass and has been sacked a league-high nine times.