A Stanford product who has spent his entire career as Houston's steady backup and spot-starting quarterback behind C.J. Stroud.
Davis Mills has been a fixture in Houston since the Texans drafted him in the third round in 2021, and he remains the trusted arm the team turns to whenever C.J. Stroud is unavailable. Houston rewarded that reliability with a contract extension during the 2025 season.
Path to the league
Mills played quarterback at Stanford before entering the 2021 NFL Draft. The Houston Texans selected him in the third round, 67th overall, and he has remained with the franchise ever since.
Career highlights
Mills started numerous games for Houston in the years before Stroud's arrival, gaining experience as a starting NFL quarterback during a rebuilding stretch for the franchise. Since Stroud took over as the starter, Mills has settled into a valuable backup role, capable of stepping in and winning games when needed.
2025 season recap
Mills made multiple starts in 2025 while Stroud dealt with a concussion, including a win over the Buffalo Bills on Thursday Night Football and a 36-29 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 10. Over 174 dropbacks, he threw for 915 yards with 5 touchdowns against 1 interception, and the Texans signed him to a one-year, $5 million extension during the season.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Davis Mills
- Houston Texans: Davis Mills
Statistics
2025 season and career2025 Season · Passing
6 games played▶Passing · career
| Year | Team | GP | CMP | ATT | YDS | TD | INT | RTG | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | texans | 6 | 91 | 159 | 915 | 5 | 1 | 81.6 | 43.5 |
| 2024 | texans | 4 | 20 | 36 | 212 | 0 | 0 | 72.9 | 64.8 |
| 2023 | texans | 6 | 18 | 39 | 173 | 2 | 0 | 76.1 | 49.5 |
| 2022 | texans | 15 | 292 | 479 | 3,118 | 17 | 15 | 78.8 | 35.0 |
| 2021 | texans | 13 | 263 | 394 | 2,664 | 16 | 10 | 88.8 | 41.2 |
▶Rushing · career
| Year | Team | GP | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | texans | 6 | 13 | 60 | 4.6 | 1 | 14 |
| 2024 | texans | 4 | 3 | 11 | 3.7 | 0 | 9 |
| 2023 | texans | 6 | 2 | 9 | 4.5 | 0 | 9 |
| 2022 | texans | 15 | 32 | 108 | 3.4 | 2 | 17 |
| 2021 | texans | 13 | 18 | 44 | 2.4 | 0 | 11 |
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Quarterback
- Group
- offense
- College
- Stanford
- Hometown
- Duluth, GA, USA
- Age
- 27
- Status
- active
Team
