Bryce Young and CJ Stroud will be connected throughout their entire careers, as Young was taken No. 1 overall by the Carolina Panthers, while Stroud was selected No. 2 overall by the Houston Texans in the 2023 NFL Draft. With three seasons under their belts, it appears NFL analyst Chris Simms likes one quarterback more than the other, but there is a catch.
During a guest appearance on “The Dan Patrick Show,” Simms admitted that between the two, he would rather extend Young to a new contract over Stroud. However, Simms also claimed that he wouldn't feel all that comfortable with the Panthers' quarterback under center for the longterm. Either way, he was a bit skeptical of both quarterbacks.
“I would have gone, no-brainer, CJ Stroud, before the playoffs or the end of the regular season,” said Simms. “It was questionable towards the end of the regular season. I've had people go, ‘They think his concussion in the middle part of the year was still affecting him.' He has been in some different offensive systems. But man, [Stroud] really lost his way towards the end of the year…
“I sit here now, I guess, giving the edge to Bryce Young – but don't feel necessarily great about that,” continued Simms. “I mean, I know Carolina went into the year going, ‘Hey, we like Young, but we don't have our quarterback yet. We don't really know. We don't think we got the guy.' He played better, definitely. How do [the Panthers] feel about that? I'm sure they feel better, but I wouldn't sit here and just go, ‘Oh, we're just golden at quarterback.'”
"I sit here now, I guess, giving the edge to Bryce Young – but don't feel necessarily great about that."
– @CSimmsQB weighs in on the Bryce Young vs C.J. Stroud debate. pic.twitter.com/ViqjYfwTSb
— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) February 12, 2026
Bryce Young, who is 24 years old, has shown steady progress throughout his career in the league so far. The 2025-26 campaign was the best season he's had, after recording career highs in passing yards (3,011), touchdowns (23), and completion percentage (63.6%). He also added two rushing touchdowns for the Panthers.
Meanwhile, it's been the exact opposite experience for CJ Stroud. The 24-year-old quarterback ended last season with 3,041 passing yards and 19 touchdown passes while completing 64.5% of his pass attempts. His yards and touchdowns are career-lows, while his completion percentage is a career-high.
With both quarterbacks entering their fourth season, the Panthers and Texans will have tough choices to make soon regarding their respective contracts. Young and Stroud are both eligible for a fifth-year option.
