Texans' Davis Mills: Enters final year of contract
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Mills has one year remaining on his rookie contract entering the 2024 offseason. He completed 18 of 39 passes for 173 yards and two touchdowns over six regular-season games in 2023.
Mills operated as the primary backup when C.J. Stroud was healthy and starting, but when the No. 1 quarterback couldn't go in Weeks 15 and 16 due to a concussion, the Texans used Case Keenum as their starter. Both backup QBs are under contract for 2024, although Keenum's cap hit would be minimal if he were to be released.
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Texans' Davis Mills: Attempts Hail Mary
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Mills was sacked for a 10-yard loss on his only play of Sunday's 19-16 overtime win over the Titans in Week 15.
Mills entered the game to throw a Hail Mary pass at the end of the first half but was unable to avoid a sack. He had been the replacement when C.J. Stroud (concussion) got hurt in Week 14 but was bypassed as Sunday's starter in favor of Case Keenum.
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Texans' Davis Mills: Bypassed for starting nod
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Mills is slated to remain the Texans' No. 2 quarterback Sunday against the Titans while Case Keenum draws the start in place of C.J. Stroud (concussion), who has been ruled out for the Week 15 contest, DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN.com reports.
Stroud wasn't able to practice in any fashion this week and has yet to clear the five-step protocol after sustaining the concussion in the Texans' 30-6 loss to the Jets last Sunday. Though Mills has served as the top backup to Stroud all season and completed one of five pass attempts for four yards in relief of the rookie signal-caller late in last week's loss, the Texans had him and the 35-year-old Keenum split reps in practice throughout Week 15 prep. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston, Keenum received the majority of the first-team reps, and he apparently acquitted himself well enough in those practices to get the starting nod over Mills, despite having been inactive as an emergency No. 3 quarterback for each of Houston's first 13 games of the season. Depending on how Keenum performs Week 15, he could end up sticking ahead of Mills as the No. 2 option moving forward once Stroud clears the protocol.
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Texans' Davis Mills: Likely to remain backup in Week 15
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Mills is expected to remain the Texans' No. 2 quarterback for Sunday's game againt the Titans with Case Keenum in line to draw the Week 15 start in place of C.J. Stroud (concussion), Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Stroud is listed as doubtful after sustaining a concussion late in last weekend's 30-6 loss to the Jets. Mills -- who has dressed as the Texans' No. 2 quarterback all season -- came on in relief of Stroud and completed one of five passes for four yards, but Mills will apparently be bypassed for the starting nod in favor of the 35-year-old Keenum. According to Wilson, Keenum took the majority of the first-team reps in practice this week, and the Texans' coaching staff will look to see if he can provide a spark to the passing game after Mills struggled in his limited action last week.
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Texans' Davis Mills: Could start with Stroud in protocol
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Mills completed one of five passes for four yards after replacing C.J. Stroud (concussion) in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 30-6 loss to the Jets.
Coach DeMeco Ryans confirmed after the game that Stroud has entered the NFL's concussion protocol, so Mills would get an opportunity to make his first start of 2023 in Week 15 against the Titans if Stroud fails to gain clearance. Mills made 26 starts over the previous two seasons and has a career 33:25 TD:INT. Wide receiver Nico Collins (calf) also exited the loss to the Jets after the Texans lost Tank Dell (lower leg) for the season in the previous game.
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Texans' Davis Mills: Enters for two snaps
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Mills completed his lone pass attempt for 18 yards in Sunday's 22-17 win over Denver in Week 13.
Starting quarterback C.J. Stroud was ordered to the sidelines for evaluation following a quarterback sneak during the fourth quarter. Mills was needed for two plays before Stroud reentered the contest. Mills handed off to Dameon Pierce then fired an 18-yard strike to Nico Collins. He's played just three snaps all season.
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Texans' Davis Mills: Mixed results behind Stroud
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Mills completed nine of 12 passes for 99 yards and a touchdown but lost a fumble in Thursday night's 20-9 win over the Patriots in the Texans' preseason opener.
Mills entered the game after rookie first-rounder C.J. Stroud played Houston's first two drives. The latter finished with just two completions for 13 yards and an interception. Although Mills moved the ball better in his four series under center, including a six-yard touchdown toss to end the first half, he too committed a turnover during his time on the field. While Stroud is undoubtedly Houston's long-term plan at quarterback, Mills could still vie for playing time this season and will nonetheless look to eliminate similar miscues in next Saturday's exhibition outing versus Miami.
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Texans' Davis Mills: Part of QB competition
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Mills will compete with C.J. Stroud for the top quarterback job heading into training camp, DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN.com reports. "We'll see where their process goes in training camp and see as the competition continues," Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans said Tuesday. "We'll see who separates themselves."
Mills and Stroud, who was selected with the second overall pick in this year's draft, have rotated reps with the first-team offense throughout OTAs and minicamp. The Texans view Stroud as the franchise quarterback they've missed since the controversial exit of Deshaun Watson, who was traded to Cleveland last year. Quarterbacks selected in the top five of drafts typically start Week 1, as 11 of 17 quarterbacks drafted in the top five since 2011 have opened their rookie campaigns as their team's No. 1 QB. In addition, over the last two seasons Houston has ranked 31st in QBR (33.3), much of that with Mills under center -- so he's done little to establish any job security.
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Texans' Davis Mills: Not on trade block
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The Texans aren't interested in trading Mills, who was the first quarterback through drills Tuesday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
It's a crowded QB room with Mills (26 career starts) joined by 35-year-old Case Keenum (64 starts) and 2023 second overall pick C.J. Stroud. It's worth noting that the rookie was second through drills (ahead of Keenum) at the first day of OTAs. There's little question Stroud will take snaps this year, but it is possible new coach DeMeco Ryans gives Mills a chance to keep his starting job for at least the early portion of the season.
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Texans' Davis Mills: Resurgent effort to close season
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Mills completed 22 of 38 passes for 298 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions in the Texans' 32-31 win over the Colts on Sunday. He also rushed once for six yards and threw a game-winning two-point conversion pass.
Mills saved his best for last, putting together his first three-touchdown tally of the campaign while falling just short of his third 300-yard effort of 2022. The second-year signal-caller even led Houston on an improbable comeback that culminated in a heave of a 28-yard touchdown toss to Jordan Akins on fourth down and a subsequent two-pointer to the veteran tight end that served as the difference in the game. Mills hit Brandin Cooks and Akins for 11- and 19-yard scores earlier in the game as well, but the young quarterback's future in Houston is somewhat uncertain, given the team has the No. 2 pick in April's draft and also may be undergoing a head coaching change this offseason.
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Texans' Davis Mills: Expected to be part of two-QB setup
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Mills is slated to start Sunday's game against the Chiefs, but he's expected to cede snaps to backup Jeff Driskel while the Texans implement a two-quarterback system, league sources tell Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com.
In his return from a two-game benching last weekend in Dallas, Mills surprisingly helped keep the 1-11-1 Texans competitive in a 27-23 loss to one of the NFC's top teams. However, Mills wasn't used as a traditional starter in his return, as he played exactly half of the snaps and finished with 16 completions on 21 attempts for 175 yards and an interception in the loss. Driskel, meanwhile, played half the game as well and attempted only six passes, though he was highly involved as a runner (seven carries for 36 yards). Assuming the rough timeshare remains in place Sunday, both Mills and Driskel are tough to rely on as fantasy options while neither receives a full snap count.
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Texans' Davis Mills: Manages game in loss to Dallas
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Mills completed 16 of 21 pass attempts for 175 yards, no touchdowns and one interception in Sunday's 27-23 loss to the Cowboys.
Mills returned as Houston's starting quarterback after being benched for the last two games. He accounted for the majority of the team's pass attempts but did give way to Jeff Driskel on several occasions -- including for its lone passing touchdown of the game. Mills will presumably remain the Texans' starter moving forward, but it's fairly clear there is a lack of trust in him under center.
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Texans' Davis Mills: Set to reclaim starting job
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The Texans plan to return Mills to the starting quarterback role for Sunday's game at Dallas, league sources tell Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston.
Mills started the Texans' first 10 games before being benched in favor of Kyle Allen ahead of Week 12 after completing 61.9 percent of his throws for 6.5 yards per attempt and an 11:11 TD:INT. Allen didn't fare any better in double-digit losses to the Dolphins and Browns the past two weeks (59 percent completion rate, 5.3 YPA, 2:4 TD:INT), so the Texans will turn the offense back over to Mills with the hope that he can provide some sort of lift. Expect head coach Lovie Smith to confirm Mills' return to the top of the depth chart later in the week.
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Texans' Davis Mills: Unlikely start Sunday
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Mills appears set to move into a backup role for Sunday's game in Miami, as Kyle Allen is set to take first-team quarterback reps at the Texans' first Week 12 practice Wednesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
According to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, head coach Lovie Smith declined to name a starting quarterback during his Wednesday news conference, but all signs point to Allen is drawing the assignment Sunday against the Dolphins. The 1-8-1 Texans have lost five games in a row with Mills at the helm, and the second-year signal-caller has recorded 2,144 passing yards and an 11:11 TD:INT in 10 outings this season.
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Texans' Davis Mills: Job status on notice
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Houston head coach Lovie Smith hinted Monday that Mills could lose his starting job, Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle reports. "Made some decisions on how we're going to go forward. Like all changes, anything that we do from week to week, we've got to talk to the players before we talk to you," Smith said.
The coach faced questions about Mills after Sunday's loss to the Commanders, just like he did following a Week 10 loss to the Giants. Smith wasn't ready to comment immediately following Sunday's game, but his words Monday implied Kyle Allen could take over under center. "Kyle can make all of the throws," Smith said. "He has a history of good play in the NFL. And he's a veteran, he's been in this situation. He gets rid of the ball quickly. There's a lot of good to like about what Kyle has done." Expect the Texans to formally announce their plans at quarterback for Sunday's game in Miami based on how the next few practices unfold.
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Texans' Davis Mills: Tops 300 yards in loss
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Mills completed 28 of 41 passes for 302 yards and two touchdowns with one interception in Sunday's 38-20 loss to the Raiders.
The second-year QB posted season highs in attempts, completions and yards as the Texans were forced to play catch-up for most of the fourth quarter. Mills, and the whole Houston offense, isn't really built to engage in shootouts, but they may be able to keep things closer in a Week 8 AFC South clash with the Titans.
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Texans' Davis Mills: Two costly picks
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Mills completed 20 of 32 passes for 245 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in Sunday's 23-20 loss against the Bears.
Mills was decent for much of the game, and he spread targets around to many of his pass catchers. He led the Texans on a pair of touchdown drives, the first of which he capped with a four-yard touchdown toss to Jordan Akins. However, he also threw an interception with just over a minute remaining in the fourth quarter that led directly to the game-winning field goal for the Bears. Mills has reached 240 passing yards in two of three games this season, but he also has only three total touchdowns.
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Texans' Davis Mills: Modest numbers in Week 2 loss
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Mills completed 19 of 38 passes for 177 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions in the Texans' 16-9 loss to the Broncos on Sunday. He also rushed twice for one yard and committed two fumbles recovered by Houston.
Mills' lackluster numbers tell the tale of a typically difficult encounter with the Broncos defense on its home field, but to his credit, the second-year signal-caller helped keep Houston in the game until the waning seconds. He couldn't come through on his team's last-chance possession, however, with the Texans actually losing a yard on four plays before turning it over on downs. Mills continues to be a work in progress, but he seemingly has the talent to improve as the season unfolds and will look to up his numbers in a Week 3 visit to the Bears next Sunday.
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Texans' Davis Mills: Plays into second half Thursday
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Mills completed six of 10 passes for 58 yards, one touchdown and one interception in Thursday's 17-0 preseason win over the 49ers.
You wouldn't know it from his modest stat line, but Mills actually played the entire first half and the first drive of the second half for Houston, capping his final possession of the game with a 16-yard touchdown pass to Chris Moore. The Texans did most of their damage on the ground, which is something the team failed to find success at during Mills' rookie season. If rookie running back Dameon Pierce -- who capped Houston's opening drive with a one-yard touchdown -- can breathe life into the Texans' rushing attack in 2022, that could free up more space for the Mills-led Houston passing game.
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Texans' Davis Mills: More snaps coming Friday
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Mills is expected to see an increase in playing time Friday against the Rams after playing two series in the preseason opener last week, Drew Dougherty of the Texans' official site reports. "We wanted to give him limited work, just getting him out there on the football field was what we were looking for," Houston head coach Lovie Smith said.
Mills and the first-team offense floundered last week, going three-and-out on two drives. It should be noted that Houston didn't have three of its projected starting five on the offensive line. More personnel -- on the offensive line and at wide receiver -- are expected to play Friday.
