Chris Streveler played quarterback alongside two of the more polarizing figures in the NFL: Kyler Murray and Aaron Rodgers.
Both enter important seasons in 2026. For Murray, it’s make-or-break in Minnesota after departing the Cardinals this offseason. For Rodgers, it’s the final go-round of a historic career in Pittsburgh.
Streveler, who played for the Cardinals and Jets after winning a Grey Cup with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 2019, retired this offseason and has started the ‘See It Like Strev’ YouTube channel breaking down both the NFL and CFL.
Streveler recently sat down for an exclusive interview to discuss Murray, Rodgers, his former offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur heading to Arizona, former coach Robert Saleh taking over the Titans and his burgeoning broadcast career.
Q: You were the backup in Arizona when Kyler Murray peaked back in 2021. Do you think he can get back to that level with the supporting cast he has now in Minnesota? Is that within him?
Chris Streveler: “I do think it is. I do think sometimes it’s valuable to have a change of scenery. Things ran their course in Arizona and it was time for him to get out of there. Tough situation of course, but I’m also a proponent that going through adversity builds toughness, builds character, builds resilience. He’s been through that with the knee injury, the benching, moving teams now. I think he’s probably got some toughness inside of him now that maybe he didn’t know he had before going through adversity.
“I’m excited to see what happens with him. When you look at the Vikings and the amount of times quarterbacks go there and revive their careers: Daniel Jones, Sam Darnold, Kirk Cousins. They go there and have success, get great coaching from Kevin O’Connell and that staff. I can see the same thing happening with him.”
Q: You’ve been around a lot of quarterbacks. Statistically, Kyler isn’t up there with the top-5, top-10 quarterbacks, but from a pure talent perspective with his arm and legs, does he have the natural ability to put it all together and reach those heights?
Chris Streveler: “For sure. He’s got the ability, and he’s done it before, right? He’s shown that he can do it. In terms of guys being able to throw the ball and run the ball like him, it’s Kyler and Lamar (Jackson), maybe. It’s a little bit of a different skillset, like Kyler’s acceleration is crazy. I’ve never seen someone go from zero to 60 as fast as he does. It’s special. He’s obviously got it in him. He can do it.
“I do think the aspect of coaching is very, very important in the NFL. It gets overlooked a lot because these are pros and grown adults, but coaching is extremely important. When you go down that rabbit hole of where guys have success and don’t have success — I’m not saying coaching failed him in Arizona because there were a lot of things that happened with coaching staff turnover, injuries, stuff like that. But going to Minnesota and having the great coaching we’ve seen with these other guys, it’s going to help him get back to playing some of his best football.”
Q: You were behind-the-scenes with Kyler daily for a couple years in Arizona. There has been a lot of talk about his leadership skills and study habits. Is there validity to those concerns or is it overblown?
Chris Streveler: “I think the media is always going to take a narrative and run with it. I’ve been around a lot of guys who have been somewhat misunderstood. Kyler being one of them. Aaron Rodgers was another. I had positive experiences with both of those guys. It’s funny being on the other side of the media now, where I’m much more dialed in to what people are saying. As a player, you made an effort to block that stuff out. I always tried to take guys at face value for what they brought to the room, how they treated me, and I always had a positive experience with Kyler.
“The media is going to always take those narratives and run with them, try to build them up. I first met him in 2020, when it was his second season in the league. And now, seeing it from afar with the way he’s able to articulate and carry himself, I continue to see growth and maturity.”
Bettors sizing up either Murray's or Rodgers's 2026 have more than a sportsbook line to work with this year. Action Network breaks down prediction markets vs. sportsbooks for NFL betting, and has rounded up the best NFL prediction market promos live right now, including a Novig promo code for new users looking to trade on markets tied to Murray, Rodgers and the rest of the league.
Q: You mentioned Aaron Rodgers being misunderstood. What were your interactions like when you were together on the Jets in 2023? Is he a lot different than we see on camera?
Chris Streveler: “No, I think he’s always himself. He’s never a fake person. He’s always super genuine. But I think when people have narratives they want to run, they’re able to take things out of context and do what they want to do with that. I always had extremely positive interactions with him, man. He was a pleasure to be around in the room. I sat right next to him and learned a ton of football. And I also had a ton of great life conversations with him.
“We hung out outside of ball several times. He was always a great teammate, always took care of guys. I’m the guy standing on the table saying, ‘Man, what you hear about Aaron Rodgers is not what you get inside the locker room.’ There’s a reason you don’t see former teammates coming out saying Aaron Rodgers is an a——. You never see that. It’s only media that tries to make that narrative. All of his teammates love playing with him and have nothing but great things to say. And I’m one of those guys.”
Q: Rodgers announced this will be his last year. Are you intrigued to see if he has a little more magic left?
Chris Streveler: “You can never count him out. They’ve got a talented roster, a good defense, got some weapons on offense. Man, I would love to see him make a run. Wouldn’t that be absolutely electric if the Steelers get hot and go out on a deep playoff run his last year? I’m rooting for a Cinderella story like that.”
Q: Mike LaFleur was your offensive coordinator with the Jets. What are your thoughts as he prepares for his first regular season as coach of the Cardinals? Do you like what he does schematically?
Chris Streveler: “I love what he does schematically. I love him as a person, too. He’s a guy that really relates to the players and does a great job building relationships with guys. I think he’s going to do a really good job with that offense. Taking what he’s done with the (Kyle) Shanahan offense, what he’s done in New York, his brother in Green Bay, taking what they did in L.A.
“I think he’s going to have a really great way of using the different weapons on offense, finding ways to put guys in position to be successful. And then having Nathaniel Hackett there, too, and all the experience he has, I’m really excited to see the offense. I think he’s going to do some great things this year.”
Q: You have a different skillset than Jacoby Brissett or Carson Beck. Do you think LaFleur needs a certain type of quarterback for his system, and how do you feel about Beck, the first quarterback LaFleur chose as head coach?
Chris Streveler: “I think he can make it work. Any great coach is going to be able to mold the system to the player’s strengths. When I talked to him, it was a lot of emphasis on that with the coaches. I don’t think it’s forcing a player into his scheme. It’s building the scheme around his player’s strengths. I don’t think you need to be a runner or anything like that. He’s done it with so many different guys.
“In terms of Carson Beck, I loved what I saw in the first preseason game. There’s a lot of talk about, ‘He’s got to be a Week 1 starter.’ I’ve been saying to pump the brakes a little bit. It’s the Hall of Fame Game and he did what he was supposed to do. Operate the offense, clean communication, in and out of the huddle, a couple checks. The ball was in the right place, on-schedule and in-rhythm. He made some off-schedule plays. You couldn’t ask for anything more.
“But at the end of the day, in the Hall of Fame Game, you’re getting one high (safety) coverage, you’re getting man, you’re getting Cover 3 and maybe a single dog blitz. You’re not getting Cover Zero or any exotic fronts. So what you have to manage from a quarterback standpoint is limited in that aspect.
“We’re all excited to see what he can do, and I think there will probably be an opportunity for him to get out there at some point. But I’m also a proponent of letting guys sit. So many times, the pressure is on the coaches to put them out there early, and maybe they struggle and it hurts their confidence. We’ve seen that time and time again.
“His talent and his ceiling is extremely high. This is a guy that was being talked about as a first-round pick last year, and to get him in the third round, I think the value there was tremendous. I like what I’ve seen from him so far.”
Q: You played with Budda Baker, who remains a Cardinals star at 30. He hasn’t experienced much team success during his nine years in Arizona. Would you like to see him play his whole career with the franchise, or might it be time to chase a ring?
Chris Streveler: “It’s all about him, man. Whatever he wants. What are your priorities? Is it money, winning? Maybe he can do both. I think the Cardinals are headed in the right direction. I believe in Mike LaFleur. I believe in what they are starting to build there. Obviously it’s probably going to take a year or two to get that thing rolling, but I like the direction they’re headed. And that organization understands the value of having guys there for awhile and building around that leadership. I think he’s a big piece of that.”
Q: Your former head coach Robert Saleh is now coaching the Titans. What do you think he took from his stint with the Jets that he can bring to Tennessee?
Chris Streveler: “Just that toughness mindset. I liked playing for Saleh. He’s a defensive-minded guy and he’s going to bring that type of mentality to the organization. You combine that with Brian Daboll and you’ve got two really experienced head coaches in that building. I think they did some really good things in the offseason and they have a talented young quarterback in Cam Ward.
“I’m excited for that team in another sneaky competitive division. I don’t know if they’re going to be a playoff team this year, but I do think they are going to get things going in the right direction. If they continue to build and let Cam Ward grow, maybe next year they can compete for the playoffs.”
Q: Did Saleh dip into the quarterback room at times and give his input on the offense, or was he mostly just a defensive guy?
Chris Streveler: “He was never super involved with the offense. Maybe occasionally he would pop his head into a meeting, but LaFleur was the guy who ran those meetings.”
Q: Do you think Cam Ward will be the determining factor in the team’s fortunes? If he ascends, they are set, but if he struggles, is it time to figure out what to do next?
Chris Streveler: “I think you’ve got to give him a little bit of a runway here. They didn’t have a great O-line last year. They weren’t giving him a ton of help, and he was a rookie who made some mistakes. But you can see the talent is there. I think he’s going to continue to get better.
“There’s so much pressure on the young guys. If you’re not getting it done halfway through your second year, it’s time to move on. I don’t agree with that. I think if you invest money and time and resources into these guys, you’ve got to give them at least two years going into three to hit their stride. I think guys like (Ward) need more opportunities.
“Even a guy like J.J. McCarthy. I understand them going with Kyler, and I think that’s a good move for that team, but McCarthy has only started 10 games in his career. It’s way too early to say he can’t do it. He’s shown flashes and he’s going to continue to get better. He’s still young. I’m always going to be a proponent for these young quarterbacks to get a little bit longer leash, because it is an adjustment.”
Q: How’s the transition been from football player to analyst?
Chris Streveler: “It’s been interesting, but it’s been really fun. It’s not the same as playing. I still have that competitive drive. But it’s a way where, not only can I save my body a bit after torn ACLs in back-to-back years, but it’s a way I can share my knowledge, energy and passion for the game, and stay around it.”
Q: What’s your favorite part of content creation? Is it the interviews?
Chris Streveler: “I would say it’s the interviews. I do feel like I can relate to guys. I’ve been in the locker room. I’ve been on the field. I know what it takes. And I’m a people person, man. I enjoy relating to people and building relationships and networking. This is a fun way for me to tap into that. It’s been fun to see people, I don’t want to say coming out of the woodwork from my football journey, but there are people I haven’t talked to in a while that are reaching out and saying, ‘Hey man, I see what you’re doing', and it’s great.
“To be honest with you, I tried quite a few things this year before I found this lane. It’s super cool and super energizing that’s working for me right now, and that I enjoy doing. It’s pretty easy to work hard at something when you genuinely enjoy it.”
