BREAKING: C.J. Stroud’s Thanking of Jesus Christ Cut From Postgame Interview Following Houston Texans 1st Round Playoff Victory

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud gave a postgame interview to NBC directly after he led the Texans to a 45-14 victory over the Cleveland Browns in the first round of the playoffs.

In the postgame interview, the first thing Stroud did was thank Jesus Christ. That brief statement of faith was cut from the interview when NBC posted it on social media.

BREAKING: NBC is being accused of editing CJ Stroud’s postgame interview, cutting out CJ thanking Jesus Christ.

😳

It seems like being religious and praying to a god is no longer allowed.

(🎥@NFLTrenchBattle) pic.twitter.com/1minoDFR3d

— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) January 17, 2024

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud’s faith has always been present

In an article from Outkick, Stroud mentioned how much his faith means to him.

“It’s what’s kept me grounded even through my season,” he said in February 2023. “Football has a lot of ups and downs, it has a lot of twists and turns, but at the end of the day, it’s all about your foundation. And something that’s set my foundation is my faith.

“It’s something I’m not perfect in, but I try to work every day to be better, and I definitely think that’s what saved me. If it helps encouraging anybody to help them in their lives, whatever they’re going through, then I’m all for it.”

Another instance following the game that has caused controversy among fans occurred during an interview on SportsCenter. While Stroud’s statement of faith wasn’t edited, SportsCenter host Scott Van Pelt asked him to give an answer that didn’t involve his faith.

ESPN’s Puppet Pressures C.J. Stroud to Answer His Question WITHOUT Mentioning God – Stroud Ignores Him & Mentions God Again

“I can’t do nothing but thank my Lord & Savior Jesus Christ man..” pic.twitter.com/KFvmbaPHFs

— Grant Taylor (@grantltaylor) January 11, 2024

Many fans think NBC was violating the first amendment when censoring Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud

A lot of fans were not happy upon figuring out that Stroud’s response was censored. Many think that it is because there is an agenda at hand. Others think they are violating the first amendment, which allows for freedom of speech.

they did edit it and it’s disgusting. God first over all

— Steel City Creative – Sports Creative (@steel_city_crtv) January 17, 2024

Such a shame players can’t share their beliefs anymore

— Evan Wallman (@Evan83452919) January 17, 2024

@NBCSports y’all ever heard of the first amendment?

— KeuKirito (@shai_isthe_goat) January 17, 2024

I wonder what their thought process was here, they thought nobody would notice??

— fatty patty (@theonlydyl_) January 17, 2024

NBC has not made an official statement on why the statement was cut out of the interview. There could be reasons outside of an agenda. The original statement was left in the live broadcast, and it was only cut out of the version that was shared on social media.

Social media algorithms favor short content, and there could be a chance that NBC was trying to tighten up the video to give it a better chance of going viral.

Regardless of the reason, NBC did not violate the first amendment. This issue of censorship is similar to that of bans on Twitter. When former president Donald Trump was banned on Twitter, many people argued that was a violation of the first amendment as well.

The First amendment does not protect speech that can be censored by private companies. It only protects speech from being censored by the government. Although the censorship may be considered unethical, it is not a violation of the first amendment.

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