After suffering a concussion in Week 9, Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud will miss his second straight game this Sunday. The Texans ruled him out on Thursday (via Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2). Head coach DeMeco Ryans announced that backup signal-caller Davis Mills will start against the Titans in Week 11.
Stroud sustained his injury on successful from Broncos cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine in an 18-15 loss on Nov. 2. Per week and a half later, he’s still in concussion protocol and continuing to experience symptoms. Stroud hasn’t returned to practice consequently.
It’s unclear how far more time Stroud will miss, though it’s value noting that the Texans shall be on a brief week after facing the Titans. They’ll host the Bills next Thursday. The short turnaround will give Stroud less time to return to full strength ahead of a vital matchup between AFC playoff contenders.
Winners of back-to-back AFC South titles in Stroud’s first two seasons, the 4-5 Texans are sitting on the surface of the playoff picture in his third yr. They’re lagging well behind the surprising Colts, who’re atop the division at 8-2. Nevertheless, the Mills-led Texans pulled out a critical win against the division rival Jaguars last week to maintain hope alive.
After going 17 of 30 for a paltry 137 yards off the bench within the Denver game, Mills accomplished 27 of 45 passes for 292 yards, three touchdowns (one rushing), and an interception in a 36-29 victory in Week 10. Mills led a dramatic 19-point comeback within the fourth quarter and scored the game-winning TD on a 14-yard run with 31 seconds left.
Mills is now in line to make his twenty eighth start because the Texans chosen him within the third round (67th overall) of the 2021 draft. The Stanford product took over because the Texans’ starter for many of his rookie yr, the season Deshaun Watson sat out as a healthy scratch. Mills retained the job in 2022 after Houston traded Watson to Cleveland, however the Texans’ 3-13-1 finish enabled them to select Stroud second overall in the following draft.
With a healthy Stroud on the helm of their offense, Mills didn’t make a single start from 2023-24. Still, the Texans believed enough in Mills at hand him an extension with a totally guaranteed $7MM in September. Two months later, they’re counting on Mills’ help to remain within the race.
The Texans are likely confident of their possibilities on Sunday against the 1-8 Titans, especially after throttling them 26-0 in Week 4. Far tougher tests are looming, nevertheless, with Buffalo, Indianapolis, and Kansas City next on the schedule. Ideally for the Texans, they’ll climb to .500 for the primary time this week after which get Stroud back for what could possibly be a season-defining three-game stretch.