During Sunday’s loss to the Denver Broncos, Houston Texans starting quarterback C.J. Stroud suffered a frightening head injury after taking a hit while sliding at the end of a scramble. Stroud did not return to the game, and it appears he’ll be sidelined again this week, paving the way for the team to have a new starter.
Stroud was diagnosed with a concussion and has remained in protocol throughout the week. The Texans offered no updates on Monday or Tuesday, but on Wednesday, head coach DeMeco Ryans officially ruled him out for this weekend’s matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
During his Wednesday press conference, Ryans confirmed that Stroud “will be out” for the upcoming game following the head injury. In his absence, veteran quarterback Davis Mills will get the start, according to Adam Schefter.
With C.J. Stroud out, Davis Mills will step in for his first start of the season.
In Sunday’s loss to Denver, Mills replaced Stroud and completed 17-of-30 passes for 137 yards. It was his second appearance of the season after previously going 2-for-4 in mop-up duty during Houston’s 44-10 rout of Baltimore on Oct. 10.
Mills hasn’t started a game since the 2022 season, the year before Houston drafted Stroud. Across his career, he’s appeared in 40 games with 26 starts, completing 62.3 percent of his passes for 6,327 yards, 35 touchdowns, and 25 interceptions.
We’ll see how Mills fares this week in Stroud’s absence, and how soon the Texans’ young star can make his return to the field.
About Dave Kelsey
Contributing author to The Comeback.