“Society is so backwards” - NBC cutting CJ Stroud’s ‘praise Jesus’ comment draws criticism from Jordan Poyer’s wife Rachel Bush
CJ Stroud is arguably the most promising of the top three quarterbacks taken in the 2023 NFL Draft, based solely on his performances in his rookie season.
He has broken multiple records, led the league in average yards per game and given the Houston Texans their first AFC South title and postseason appearance since the Deshaun Watson era.
Stroud also happens to be very outspoken about religion and social issues, being a devout Christian whose father is in prison for multiple crimes. But, recently, NBC surreptitiously removed the part of Stroud thanking Jesus Christ in his post-game interview after beating the Cleveland Browns in the Wild Card Game:
Stroud had said:
“First and foremost, I just want to give all glory and praise to my Lord, Jesus Christ.”
One person who's unhappy with that omission is Rachel Bush, the wife of Buffalo Bills safety Jordan Poyer. In an Instagram story, she remarked:
"Oooff society is so backwards."
Donovan McNabb condemns NBC's doctoration of CJ Stroud's post-game interview
Bush was not the only one appalled at NBC's apparent "cancellation" of CJ Stroud's religious beliefs.
On the OutKick podcast The Five Spot, sportswriter Armando Salguero and former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb were also unequivocal about their disgust at NBC for truncating the interview.
Salguero, a Christian, wondered if the media "hates" the use of "Jesus" in its usual context:
“They hate the mentions of Jesus unless you’re using it as a swear word. They hate the propagation of Jesus. And they hate the idea that people might, you know, push salvation through Jesus. And so it’s offensive. Yeah, I’m offended.
McNabb, meanwhile, called it "disrespectful", explaining:
"To cut it out, and being a media outlet that's focusing on the game and interviewing these players, the fans want to feel as one with the player(s); and when they hear a player talk, they break down everything that young man says.
"I just think they’ve stuck their foot in a hole at this particular point. They gotta find a way to pull themselves out.”
Stroud's next game, the Texans' Divisional Round matchup against the Baltimore Ravens, will air on ESPN and ABC. Kickoff is at 4:35 p.m. ET.