.jpg)
4 hours ago
3
At the start of November, the Houston Texans were facing an uphill climb to save their season, losing to the San Francisco 49ers with C.J. Stroud suffering a concussion in the game. Houston dropped to 3-5 and was multiple games out of playoff contention.
Though, even with Stroud missing some time, the Texans stormed back with backup quarterback Davis Mills at the helm. In three games starting, Mills went 3-0, including wins over AFC contenders in the Jacksonville Jaguars and Buffalo Bills. Fast forward to the Wild Card Round against the Pitsburgh Steelers, the Texans have won nine straight games dating back to Stroud's injury and Mills replacing him.
As Houston enters the postseason with their elite defense and young signal-caller Stroud performing better, the Super Bowl aspirations are very real for DeMeco Ryans and co. Those wouldn't be possible without the valiant play of their backup, Mills, in the middle of the season.
Here's more on Mills and Houston's depth chart behind Stroud.
MORE 2026 NFL PLAYOFFS:
- SN's expert predictions for NFL playoffs, Super Bowl 60
- Full NFL playoff schedule
- Updated NFL playoff bracket
- Wild-card picks, predictions
- NFL playoff power rankings, 1-14
Who is the Texans backup quarterback?
The Texans have one of the premium backup quarterbacks in the NFL in Davis Mills.
Mills, the third-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, has transitioned into a reliable reserve behind Stroud. He provides the team with an experienced option, having been the Texans' starter during his first two seasons. The team demonstrated their confidence in him by signing him to a contract extension through the 2026 season.
Mills saw significant action in the regular season, playing in six games and starting three of them when Stroud was out with a concussion. He successfully guided the Texans' offense, leading the team to a 3-0 record in those three games, including two over playoff teams in the Bills and Jaguars. Overall, Mills finished the regular season having completed 91-of-159 attempts (57.2% completion rate) for a total of 915 yards, with 5 touchdowns and just 1 interception. His play included a memorable Week 10 game against the Jaguars where he threw for 292 yards, scored two passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown in a dramatic comeback victory.
| Year | Team | GP | GS | Comp | Att | Comp % | Yards | TD | INT | Passer Rating |
| 2021 | HOU | 13 | 11 | 263 | 394 | 66.8% | 2,664 | 16 | 10 | 88.8 |
| 2022 | HOU | 15 | 15 | 292 | 479 | 61.0% | 3,118 | 17 | 15 | 78.8 |
| 2023 | HOU | 6 | 0 | 18 | 39 | 46.2% | 173 | 2 | 0 | 76.1 |
| 2024 | HOU | 4 | 0 | 20 | 36 | 55.6% | 212 | 0 | 0 | 72.9 |
| 2025 | HOU | 6 | 3 | 91 | 159 | 57.2% | 915 | 5 | 1 | 81.6 |
| Career | 44 | 29 | 684 | 1,107 | 61.8% | 7,082 | 40 | 26 | 82.5 |
MORE 2026 NFL PLAYOFFS:
- Ranking all 14 QBs in playoff, from best to worst
- Wild-card picks, predictions against the spread
- How 2026 NFL playoff format works
Texans QB depth chart
| Position | Player |
| 1 | C.J. Stroud |
| 2 | Davis Mills |
| 3 | Graham Mertz |
In the scenario where Stroud and Mills are unavailable, Graham Mertz serves as the third option for Houston.
Mertz, a rookie who was the Texans' sixth-round pick (197th overall) in the 2025 NFL Draft out of Florida, currently holds the third-string role, beating out veteran competition during training camp. Though he has yet to appear in a regular-season NFL game, Mertz offers a wealth of college experience, having started for both the Wisconsin Badgers and the Florida Gators.
His presence on the active roster provides the club with a high-volume passer with good accuracy — who threw for over 9,000 yards in college — ready to step in as the emergency quarterback if the need should ever arise.
English (US)