Texans' C.J. Stroud: 'I'm Too Blessed to Stress' over Criticism for Pre-Draft Testing

C.J. Stroud is expected to be the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year, just led the Houston Texans to their first playoff win since 2019 and has the look of a superstar-in-the-making.

So no, he doesn't care that it was leaked in the offseason that he scored low on the S2 Cognition Test in the lead-up to the 2023 NFL draft.

"I'm too blessed to stress," Stroud told Pro Football Talk's Peter King on Monday. "I mean, it's just extra motivation. I don't play this game to prove people wrong. I play this game for the audience of one, god. And then to prove the people who love me and believe in me right. You know? I feel like I've done that this year. I just want to keep that going. I don't really focus on the negativity."

He certainly didn't appear stressed against the Cleveland Browns and their fearsome defense, finishing 16-of-21 for 274 yards, three touchdowns and no turnovers in a 45-14 win.

"I just never expect not to play well," he told King.

It's the sort of confidence that great quarterbacks share. And Stroud certainly appears to be well on his way to becoming a true superstar at the position. It's very rare that a team gets a steal with the No. 2 pick in the draft, but the Texans have to be thrilled that Stroud was available to them with that selection.