CJ Stroud surprises fans with his baseball throwing style

Aug 10, 2023; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) throws the ball during warmups before a game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports

CJ Stroud proved during his outstanding rookie season last year that he is capable of making every throw at the NFL level, but the Houston Texans quarterback is certainly no Bo Jackson.

Stroud threw out the ceremonial first pitch for the Houston Astros prior to their game against the Atlanta Braves on Monday night. A video of the former Ohio State star warming up for the pitch went viral, largely because of the way Stroud was short-arming the ball.

It looked like Stroud was throwing a baseball the exact way he would throw a football, which makes perfect sense. You can tell he was not a two-sport star in high school like Patrick Mahomes, Russell Wilson and some other quarterbacks.

For what it’s worth, the throwing motion worked just fine for Stroud. He fired a perfect strike.

Stroud was the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and made the Pro Bowl last season. He threw for 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns and only 5 interceptions. We know another star quarterback has some big baseball aspirations, but Stroud will probably just stick to throwing a ceremonial first pitch every now and then. Texans fans should be just fine with that.