When 2023 Offensive Rookie of the Year and Texans starting quarterback C.J. Stroud went down with a concussion, forcing backup Davis Mills into action during Houston‘s Week 9 loss to Denver, Houston’s season officially entered uncertain territory. And when Stroud was ruled out for a key Week 10 divisional tilt against the Jaguars, the Texans, then sporting a 3-5 record, seemed to have slim playoff hopes.
But all Mills has done is throw for 719 passing yards, five touchdowns and one interception in three starts, leading Houston to three straight victories, including a massive 23–19 win over the Bills on Thursday night. The Texans are now very much alive in the playoff race.
After Thursday‘s win, Mills was asked if he views his solid play as an "open audition" of sorts for the Texans‘ starting QB job. The answer? Absolutely not.
"In my current situation, I don‘t think there‘s a competition," Mills said. "C.J‘s the starter for this team. I‘m just doing everything I can to bring my best foot forward everyday. Make everyone else around me better and try to provide and play my role to my best ability when I get thrown in there."
In seven healthy starts this season, Stroud had exceeded the 250-yard passing mark just once, though he had seemed to be turning the corner in the games leading up to Week 9, when he suffered the injury. Mills has exceeded the 250-yard mark in two of his three starts, helping to revive a passing offense that has at times looked shaky this season.
But despite Mills‘s success, coach DeMeco Ryans had a telling reaction when asked if Stroud is still the team‘s starter when healthy.
Ryans laughs off any inkling of Texans QB competition between Mills, Stroud
DeMeco Ryans when asked if CJ Stroud is the starter when he is healthy: pic.twitter.com/V6MQ6yylyp
— Houston Stressans (@TexansCommenter) November 21, 2025
"Ooo look at you trying to come with that question right at the end," Ryans said, to the laughter of reporters in the room.
"We‘ll see what happens," Ryans unseriously said, raising his eyebrows. "No, C.J., it was great to see him back out there. He was back at practice. Just to see him back around the guys with a huge smile on his face, him feeling well. That‘s the most important thing when our guys are in the concussion protocol.
"I just want to make sure that they‘re healthy and they‘re well. So that‘s the one thing that I‘m most happy to see, that he‘s well, he‘s himself, and he‘s ready to get back to football."
So that‘s that. But Ryans and company can take solace that, not only do they have a very capable backup quarterback, but also one who takes an ego-less approach in understanding his role on the team.
The Texans (6-5) take on the first-place Colts in a pivotal divisional matchup in Week 13.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Davis Mills Had Classy Response to Notion of Texans QB 'Competition' With C.J. Stroud.
