The Houston Texans ruled out quarterback C.J. Stroud for Week 10 with a concussion, pushing backup Davis Mills into the starting role for Sunday’s home game against division rival Jacksonville.
“Where we are right now with the concussion protocol, I do not see C.J. playing this week,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said on Wednesday.
Stroud was injured early in the second quarter of an 18-15 home loss to the Denver Broncos. He was scrambling downfield and went into a late slide before Denver cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine delivered a blow to Stroud’s midsection.
The back of Stroud’s helmet hit the turf, sparking concern because of Stroud’s multiple documented head injuries.
Ryans said the Texans won’t bring Stroud back until he’s confident the 24-year-old is healthy.
“Whenever he’s ready to be back, we’re going to be as smart, as diligent as possible,” Ryans said.
Mills, 27, replaced Stroud and completed 17 of 30 passes for 137 yards last week.
Mills made 26 starts over his first two seasons (2021-22) with the Texans and compiled a 5-19-1 record. All of his starts came before Stroud was the No. 2 choice in the 2023 NFL Draft. Case Keenum was the starter when Stroud was out two games due to a concussion as a rookie.
The Texans (3-5) are chasing the Indianapolis Colts (7-2) and Jaguars (5-3) in the AFC South.
“Davis is a super, super smart guy, sharp guy. Just seeing how he operates in the huddle,” Ryans said. “Now it’s about post-snap. Post-snap, can we go through, can we make the proper reads, can we get to the right spot with the football and can we just execute?
“Davis doesn’t have to do too much. We just all have to do our jobs. Nobody has to step up and do anything different.”
Mills has completed 62.3% of his passes for 6,327 yards, 35 touchdowns and 25 interceptions in 40 games (26 starts).
Stroud, 24, has passed for 1,702 yards and 11 touchdowns against five interceptions this season.
The last time he missed a game because of injury was Weeks 15 and 16 as a rookie in 2023, also due to a concussion.
