Former Ohio State Buckeyes Stars Make NFL History

This pair of former Ohio State Buckeyes stars made NFL history in Week 1.

Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Justin Fields (1) celebrates a rushing touchdown from fellow quarterback C.J. Stroud (14) during the fourth quarter of a NCAA Division I football game between the Michigan State Spartans and the Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020 at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Michigan. Cfb Ohio State Buckeyes At Michigan State Spartans / Joshua A. Bickel/Columbus Dispatch via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Former Ohio State Buckeyes star quarterbacks C.J. Stroud and Justin Fields both started for their respective NFL teams this past Sunday, and together, they made history.

With Stroud leading the Houston Texans to a win over the Indianapolis Colts and Fields guiding the Pittsburgh Steelers to victory against the Atlanta Falcons, the two players became the first pair of Ohio State signal-callers to win Week 1 NFL games in the same season (h/t Dan Hope of Eleven Warriors).

Stroud and Fields' Buckeyes careers overlapped in 2020, which represented Stroud's first year in Columbus and Fields' last before making the jump to the professional ranks.

Stroud has certainly been the better NFL quarterback thus far, winning the Offensive Rookie of the Year award in 2023. He also looked terrific in his 2024 debut, going 24-for-32 with 275 yards and a couple of touchdowns versus the Colts.

Meanwhile, Fields was making his Steelers debut after being acquired via trade with the Chicago Bears this past offseason. The 25-year-old wasn't quite as impressive as Stroud in the season opener, going 17-for-23 with 156 yards. He also carried the ball 14 times for 57 yards.

Fields was selected by the Bears with the 11th overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft and trudged through three largely unsuccessful seasons in the Windy City. Chicago then traded him to Pittsburgh in order to clear the way for the franchise to select Caleb Williams with the No. 1 pick.

Meanwhile, Stroud was taken by the Texans with the No. 2 selection last spring and has already established himself as one of the NFL's best quarterbacks.