The S2 Cognition test, which has replaced the Wonderlic as a supposedly good way to evaluate the processing skills of quarterbacks in the pre-draft process, has been taking a beating all season long. Why? Because Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud scored an 18 out of a possible 100 on the test, and he’s been one of the best rookie quarterbacks in pro football history for the Houston Texans.
“I’m not a test taker, so I play football,” Stroud said, via Scott Fowler of the Charlotte Observer, after the results were leaked. “At the end of the day, I don’t got nothing to prove for nobody. So, I’m not going to sit hee and explain how I process football. The people who are making the picks know what I can do, so that’s all that matters to me. There’s a whole bunch of people that know how to coach better, know how to play quarterback better, know how to do everything on social media. As the man in the arena — that’s what’s tough — is stepping into the arena with 10 toes. I’m going to stand on that. I know what I can do. I know what I can process. If I’m not the smartest quarterback in this draft, I know I’m one of the smartest quarterbacks in the NFL when I step in there tomorrow. I have that confidence in myself, and I don’t think you can play at Ohio State and not be smart.
“I don’t got nothing to prove to nobody, man. At the end of the day — if you don’t trust and believe in me — all I can tell you is, ‘Watch this.’”
Well, we’ve all watched this, and we’re all impressed. That includes the Baltimore Ravens’ defense, who will try to bounce Stroud out of the playoffs on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. EST.
Now, the inventors of the test have told the Wall Street Journal that Stroud’s results may have been invalid, and certainly should have never been put out there in the first place.
Remember the S2 cognition test?
Its creators now tell the Wall Street Journal that C.J. Stroud’s poor result was “potentially invalid” and should never have been leaked. pic.twitter.com/kXo8H9jUqS
— Ryan Heath (@QBLRyan) January 20, 2024
Whether this is the case, or whether this is damage control from the test’s inventors, it’s yet another reminder that these tests obviously aren’t the be-all/end/all when it comes to quarterback evaluation. After all, Dan Marino scored a 16 on his Wonderlic, and the average for quarterbacks is 24.
