Davis Mills' Backup QB Ranking Reinforces Why Texans Can't Entertain Trade

Throughout the Houston Texans' offseason, much talk has been made surrounding the season that could be on the horizon for C.J. Stroud in what projects to be one of his most important years since entering the league.

But in the midst of those buzzing conversations regarding Stroud, one name in the room who can't be forgotten about is Davis Mills, who's seen most of the hype die down from his 3-0 record as a starter in 2025, but is still getting his due respect in some recent backup quarterback rankings.

Davis Mills Just Misses Top 10 of SI's Backup QB Rankings

Sports Illustrated's Gilbert Manzano recently sorted through who the NFL's best backup quarterbacks are entering the 2026 by ranking them 1-32.

And for Mills, while he wasn't able to crack the top 10 slots, he found himself right outside of that pool of top backups at No. 11:

"Mills is a quality game manager who stepped up last year to win three games while C.J. Stroud was sidelined with a concussion," Manzano wrote. "Many forget that Mills was the starter in Houston before Stroud arrived as the No. 2 pick in the 2023 draft. It says plenty that the Texans have made it a priority to keep him around, even after demoting him with Stroud’s arrival."

"It also helps that the Texans just need a solid game manager to play with this lights-out defense. Mills knows the system, and that’s a big plus for coach DeMeco Ryans. In five seasons, Mills has 29 career starts with 40 touchdowns and 26 interceptions."

In reality, 11 feels a fair spot to be had for Mills when comparing him to the league's backup quarterbacks when factoring in his value to this offense, along with how he was able to perform in his short stretch as a starter in 2025 while Stroud missed three games due to a concussion.

During his six games played and three starts, Mills finished the season with 915 passing yards on a 57.2% completion rate, combined with five touchdowns and one interception.

Nov 20, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans quarterback Davis Mills (10) calls a play at the line of scrimmage during the game against the Buffalo Bills at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Mills, while not one to jump out in terms of his athleticism or big play ability, tends to hold his ground pretty well as a game manager and an efficient operator of the Texans offense.

He's been in the building now going on his sixth season with strong chemistry and trust from his surrounding teammates and coaching staff.

For those same reasons, it's hard to envision Mills as someone the Texans should entertain as a real trade candidate, despite being on an expiring contract entering the 2026 season that the team could try to capitalize on.

Mills' Ranking Proves Why Texans Shouldn't Use Him as Trade Piece

Mills is the exact type of mold any team can appreciate as a backup quarterback: he's reliable, understands the playbook and personnel in the building, and doesn't make many mistakes when he's under center.

He might not be the catalyst who single-handedly leads the Texans to wins with his offensive playmaking. Yet with an elite defense like Houston boasts on the other side of the ball, that's not the type of QB2 this team really needs.

Oct 5, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Houston Texans quarterback Davis Mills (10) directs a play during the fourth quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images | Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images

An efficient game manager checks all of the right boxes for Houston's QB2, and after a strong showing in limited reps throughout 2025, has shown no reason to believe the front office is eager to move off of him, even when he hits free agency come next offseason.

Any trade offer they may get for Mills, which might not stretch any higher than a day three draft pick, doesn't meet the value that he brings as someone they can lean on in the event Stroud misses time. Not having that strong presence behind him in the depth chart adds some unnecessary uncertainty.

What seems more likely than a trade between now and next offseason might actually be for the Texans to re-up with him on a new contract, whether that comes before the 2026 season or afterwards.

Houston did similar for Mills before last season kicked off by extending him on a one-year, $7 million contract, and that same scenario could creep up again this year if the team is committed to him as their backup for the foreseeable future.

To this point, he's given Houston no reason to believe he can't continue to fill that role. So while his future may be uncertain beyond the 2026 season, don't expect to see him going anywhere leading up to Week 1's kickoff.

Sign up for our free Houston Texans On SI newsletter, and get breaking Texans news delivered to your inbox daily!

Add us as a preferred source on Google