The Houston Texans have made it to the divisional round of the playoffs in each of C.J. Stroud‘s first three seasons in the NFL, but they haven’t come particularly close to making it past that round. After ending the 2025 campaign with a horrific four-interception performance against the New England Patriots in the playoffs last year, serious questions have been raised about Stroud’s future with the team.
Should Stroud struggle in 2026, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Houston turn things over to Davis Mills, who won all three of his starts last season when he was called upon to fill in for Stroud. Mills is one of the better backup quarterbacks in the league, and if you ask NFL analyst Chris Simms, he may just be better than one of the Texans’ old friends in Deshaun Watson, who is now playing for the Cleveland Browns.
Chris Simms Ranks Davis Mills Over Deshaun Watson
The Texans selected Mills in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft, which was due in large part to the contract drama that was unfolding with Watson. As a result, Mills was thrown into the fire early in his career, as he made 26 starts over his first two seasons. Unsurprisingly, he struggled, and once Stroud was taken with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Mills was sent to the bench.
When he was forced into action last season, though, Mills looked solid. During his time on the field, Mills completed 91 of his 159 pass attempts for 915 yards and five touchdowns. It got to the point where Stroud was so bad in the playoffs against the Patriots that fans were actively calling for Houston to replace him with Mills.
Watson, meanwhile, has suited up for just 19 total games over the past four seasons, thanks in large part to a slew of injury issues. Even when he has been on the field, though, he has looked nothing like the player he was earlier in his career for Houston. As a result, Simms ranked Mills as the No. 38 quarterback in the NFL heading into the new season, which is right ahead of Watson, who was ranked No. 39.
“Davis Mills is a damn good backup quarterback, there’s no doubt about that,” Simms said when explaining his ranking on “Chris Simms Unbuttoned.” “The fact that he got to play last year, you saw that. There’s physical limitations with Davis Mills, but he sees the field really well.”
Texans Have One of the Top Backup Quarterbacks in Davis Mills
GettyDavis Mills #10 of the Houston Texans warms up before a game against the Buffalo Bills.
Mills isn’t exactly the flashiest quarterback in the NFL, but when he’s found his way onto the field, he’s generally managed to hold his own. Compare that to Watson, who has been unable to stay on the field and struggled when he’s played, and it’s not exactly outlandish to suggest that Mills is more valuable right now (and that’s before even diving into Watson’s contract situation).
For the time being, though, Houston has remained committed to Stroud, which limits Mills’ opportunity when it comes to earning more playing time. If Stroud continues to regress as he has over the past two seasons, though, there could be a real case for Mills to play over him. And should that happen, he’d put some serious distance between himself and Watson on this list.
Analyst Puts Texans’ $7 Million QB Davis Mills Over Deshaun Watson in NFL Rankings