Davis Compton Mills (born October 21, 1998) is an American professional football quarterback for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Stanford Cardinal and was selected by the Texans in the third round of the 2021 NFL draft. Mills was Houston's starter during his first two seasons, before reverting to a backup role after the Texans drafted C. J. Stroud.

Davis Mills
refer to caption
Mills with the Texans in 2022
No. 10 – Houston Texans
Position:Quarterback
Personal information
Born: (1998-10-21) October 21, 1998 (age 26)
Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Height:6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight:225 lb (102 kg)
Career information
High school:Greater Atlanta Christian (Norcross, Georgia)
College:Stanford (2017–2020)
NFL draft:2021 / round: 3 / pick: 67
Career history
Roster status:Active
Career NFL statistics as of Week 6, 2024
Passing attempts:925
Passing completions:580
Completion percentage:62.7%
TDINT:35–25
Passing yards:6,034
Passer rating:82.9
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Early life

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Mills was born on October 21, 1998, in Atlanta, Georgia,[1][2] later attending Greater Atlanta Christian School in Norcross, Georgia.[3][4] During his career, he passed for 6,290 yards and 66 touchdowns. He was selected to the 2017 U.S. Army All-American Bowl, but was unable to play due to an injury.[5][6] A five-star recruit, Mills was ranked as the top quarterback in his class. He committed to Stanford University to play college football.[7]

College career

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Mills redshirted his freshman year for the Stanford Cardinal in 2017.[8] In 2018, he appeared in one game as a backup to K. J. Costello. He entered 2019 as a backup to Costello, but started six of eight games after Costello was injured. Against Washington State, he set a school record with 504 passing yards.[9] He finished the 2019 season completing 158 of 241 passes for 1,960 yards, 11 touchdowns, and five interceptions. Mills played in five games during Stanford's pandemic-shortened 2020 season, completing 129 of 195 passes for 1,508 yards with seven touchdowns and three interceptions.[10]

College statistics

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Stanford Cardinal
Season GP Passing Rushing Receiving
Cmp Att Pct Yds Y/A TD Int Rtg Att Yds Avg TD Rec Yds Avg TD
2017 0   Redshirted
2018 1 0 2 0.0 0 0.0 0 0 0.0 1 5 5.0 0 0 0 0.0 0
2019 8 158 241 65.6 1,960 8.1 11 5 144.8 32 44 1.4 0 1 8 8.0 1
2020 5 129 195 66.2 1,508 7.7 7 3 139.9 30 37 1.2 3 0 0 0.0 0
Career 14 287 438 65.5 3,468 7.9 18 8 141.9 63 86 1.4 3 1 8 8.0 1

Professional career

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Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump
6 ft 3+34 in
(1.92 m)
217 lb
(98 kg)
31+38 in
(0.80 m)
9+12 in
(0.24 m)
4.82 s 1.74 s 2.80 s 4.40 s 6.95 s 32.0 in
(0.81 m)
9 ft 2 in
(2.79 m)
All values from NFL Combine[11][12]

2021

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Mills in a game against the Tennessee Titans, 2021

Mills was selected 67th overall by the Houston Texans in the third round of the 2021 NFL draft.[13] He signed his four-year rookie contract, worth $5.2 million, with the Texans on May 26, 2021.[14]

Due to incumbent starting quarterback Deshaun Watson being ruled inactive, Mills was named the second option behind Tyrod Taylor.[15] He made his NFL debut during the second half of the Week 2 game against the Cleveland Browns after Taylor was injured, throwing for 102 yards, a touchdown, and an interception in the 31–21 defeat.[16][17] Mills made his starting debut against the Carolina Panthers the following week, in which he threw for 168 yards and a touchdown.[18] The Texans subsequently lost 20–9.[19] In Week 4, Mills struggled against the Buffalo Bills, completing 11 of 21 passes for 87 yards and four interceptions in a 40–0 shutout defeat.[20] Mills rebounded the following week when he completed 21 of 29 passes for 312 yards and three touchdowns against the New England Patriots. However, the Texans lost 25–22 after surrendering a 22–9 lead in the third quarter.[21]

Mills resumed his backup duties after Taylor returned in Week 5, but ineffective performances from Taylor led to Mills replacing him during a 31–0 shutout defeat in Week 13 against the Indianapolis Colts.[22][23][24] Following the game, Mills was announced as the starter for the remainder of the season.[25] Mills won his first NFL game during Week 15 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, completing 19 of 30 passes for 209 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception in the 30–16 victory.[26] He helped lead the Texans to a 41–29 upset over the Los Angeles Chargers the following week, but the game marked the Texans' final victory for the season.[27]

Despite winning only two games, Mills set the franchise record for rookie passing yards at 2,664.[28] His 16 touchdowns and 66.8 completion percentage were also the second-highest among rookie quarterbacks in 2021, behind Mac Jones.[29]

2022

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Mills (center) in a game against the Washington Commanders, 2022

With Watson traded to the Browns and the departure of Taylor, Mills was named the Texans' starter for 2022. He began the season against the Colts, completing 23 of 37 passes for 240 yards and two touchdowns.[30] The game ended in a 20–20 tie.[31] After a Week 11 loss to the Washington Commanders, Mills was benched in favor of Kyle Allen for the Texans Week 12 matchup against the Miami Dolphins.[32] After starting two games where he struggled, Allen was benched in favor of Mills.[33] In the 2022 season, Mills finished with 3,118 passing yards, 17 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions to go along with two rushing touchdowns in 15 games as Houston finished with a 3–13–1 record.[34][35]

2023

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After the Texans drafted C. J. Stroud in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft, Mills was named the Texans' backup after a preseason competition with Stroud.[36] Mills appeared in six regular season games as well as the Texans' Wild Card win against the Browns in relief, completing 18 of 39 passes for 173 yards and two touchdowns.[37]

2024

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On September 4, Mills signed a one-year, $5 million extension with the Texans through 2025.[38]

NFL career statistics

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Legend
Led the league
Bold Career high

Regular season

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Year Team Games Passing Rushing Sacks Fumbles
GP GS Record Cmp Att Pct Yds Y/A Lng TD Int Rtg Att Yds Avg Lng TD Sck SckY Fum Lost
2021 HOU 13 11 2–9 263 394 66.8 2,664 6.8 67 16 10 88.8 18 44 2.4 11 0 31 206 5 1
2022 HOU 15 15 3–10–1 292 479 61.0 3,118 6.5 58 17 15 78.8 32 108 3.4 17 2 31 244 8 3
2023 HOU 6 0 18 39 46.2 173 4.4 19 2 0 76.1 2 9 4.5 9 0 2 13 0 0
2024 HOU 2 0 7 13 53.8 79 6.1 25 0 0 72.3 0 0 0.0 0 0 1 7 0 0
Career 36 26 5–19–1 580 925 62.7 6,034 6.5 67 35 25 82.9 52 161 3.1 17 2 65 470 13 4

Postseason

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Year Team Games Passing Rushing Sacks Fumbles
GP GS Record Cmp Att Pct Yds Y/A Lng TD Int Rtg Att Yds Avg Lng TD Sck SckY Fum Lost
2023 HOU 1 0 1 1 100.0 6 6.0 6 0 0 91.7 3 −4 −1.3 −1 0 0 0 0 0
Career 1 0 1 1 100.0 6 6.0 6 0 0 91.7 3 −4 −1.3 −1 0 0 0 0 0

Records and achievements

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Texans franchise records

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  • Highest completion percentage in a season by a rookie: 66.8% (2021)

References

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  1. ^ "Davis Mills – Quarterback Stanford Cardinals 2021 NFL Draft Scouting Report". SI.com. February 11, 2021. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
  2. ^ "Davis Mills". gostanford.com. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
  3. ^ "Davis Mills approaches elite QB status". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. August 14, 2015. Archived from the original on September 21, 2021. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  4. ^ Hammock, Will (August 13, 2016). "SUPER SIX: Greater Atlanta Christian's Davis Mills, a Stanford commit, is most highly touted QB ever in Gwinnett". Gwinnett Prep Sports. Archived from the original on April 12, 2020. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  5. ^ "Greater Atlanta Christian QB Davis Mills humbled and excited for Army All-American Bowl". USA TODAY High School Sports. September 23, 2016. Archived from the original on September 25, 2016. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  6. ^ "Davis Mills, nation's top QB recruit, to miss Army All-American Bowl". USA TODAY High School Sports. December 30, 2016. Archived from the original on December 31, 2016. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  7. ^ "Stanford Football: Four-star QB Davis Mills commits to Cardinal – Sports Illustrated". SI.com. March 15, 2016. Archived from the original on April 12, 2020. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  8. ^ FitzGerald, Tom (August 9, 2018). "Stanford quarterback Mills poised to emerge from scout-team obscurity". SFChronicle.com. Archived from the original on April 12, 2020. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  9. ^ Geranios, Nicholas K. (November 16, 2019). "Record game from Stanford's Davis Mills not enough at Washington State". SFChronicle.com. Archived from the original on November 17, 2019. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  10. ^ "Davis Mills College Stats". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  11. ^ "Davis Mills Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
  12. ^ "Davis Mills, Stanford, QB, 2021 NFL Draft Scout, NCAA College Football". draftscout.com. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
  13. ^ Dougherty, Drew (April 30, 2021). "QB is the choice: Texans select Stanford's Davis Mills in 3rd round". HoustonTexans.com. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
  14. ^ Links, Zachary (May 26, 2021). "Texans Sign QB Davis Mills". Pro Football Rumors. Archived from the original on May 26, 2021. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  15. ^ McClain, John (September 3, 2021). "Mailbag: Are Texans setting precedent with handling of Deshaun Watson?". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
  16. ^ Edwards, Josh (September 19, 2021). "Texans rookie Davis Mills relieves injured Tyrod Taylor (hamstring) to start second half vs. Browns". CBSSports. Retrieved September 19, 2021.
  17. ^ Davis, Coty (September 20, 2021). "Texans didn't alter game plan against the Browns when QB Davis Mills went in". Texans Wire. USA Today. Retrieved September 24, 2021.
  18. ^ Barshop, Sarah (September 21, 2021). "Houston Texans to start rookie Davis Mills at QB on Thursday with Taylor out". ESPN.com. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
  19. ^ Simmons, Myles (September 24, 2021). "Davis Mills on his first start: There's obviously a couple plays I would like back". ProFootballTalk. Retrieved September 24, 2021.
  20. ^ Owens, Jason (October 3, 2021). "NFL: Texans' Davis Mills posts historically bad QB stat". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
  21. ^ Hartwell, Darren (October 10, 2021). "Davis Mills makes history vs. Bill Belichick's Patriots with breakout game". Yahoo! Sports. Archived from the original on October 11, 2021. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
  22. ^ "Houston Texans Transactions (11-6-2021)". HoustonTexans.com. November 6, 2021. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  23. ^ "Texans' Davis Mills: Returning to Backup duty". CBSSports. November 4, 2021. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  24. ^ DeArdo, Bryan (December 5, 2021). "Texans bench Tyrod Taylor for Davis Mills during Houston's Week 13 game against the Colts". CBS Sports. Retrieved December 5, 2021.
  25. ^ Barshop, Sarah (December 10, 2021). "Texans hand QB job to Mills to finish out season". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
  26. ^ Wood, Anthony (January 19, 2021). "Houston Texans 30, Jacksonville Jaguars 16: Top 10 Observations". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  27. ^ Barshop, Sarah (December 27, 2021). "Rex Burkhead, Houston Texans' running game break through to aid rookie QB Davis Mills". ESPN. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
  28. ^ Sidhu, Deepi (January 9, 2022). "with 11 starts under his belt, Houston Texans QB Davis Mills has now solidified himself as the leading rookie passer in franchise history with 2,664 yards". Houston Texans. Retrieved January 9, 2022.
  29. ^ "NFL 2021 Player Stats". NFL. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
  30. ^ Lane, Mark (September 13, 2022). "Texans QB Davis Mills named a Week 1 'secret superstar'". USA Today. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
  31. ^ Young, Ryan (September 11, 2022). "Colts tie Texans after comeback falls short, leading to huge survivor pool blow". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
  32. ^ Bien-Aime, DJ (November 23, 2022). "Source: Texans turn to Allen at QB over Mills". ESPN.com. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
  33. ^ Bien-Aime, DJ (December 7, 2022). "Houston Texans benching Kyle Allen, back to Davis Mills". ESPN. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
  34. ^ "Davis Mills 2022 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
  35. ^ "2022 Houston Texans Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees, Injury Reports". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
  36. ^ Gordon, Grant (August 27, 2023). "Texans announce No. 2 overall pick C.J. Stroud will be Week 1 starter". NFL.com. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
  37. ^ "Davis Mills 2023 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
  38. ^ Patra, Kevin (September 4, 2024). "Texans QB Davis Mills agrees to one-year, $5 million extension to back up C.J. Stroud through 2025". NFL.com. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
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