Texans’ Davis Mills on one-year, $7 million guaranteed extension: ‘Very humbling, very grateful’

HOUSTON – When the Texans decided to secure the services of backup quarterback Davis Mills with a one-year, fully guaranteed, $7 million contract extension through next year, it was an investment in the future.

It also represented the faith and trust the Texans have in Mills, making him one of the highest paid backup quarterbacks in the league behind Marcus Mariota. A former third-round draft pick from Stanford and starter for the Texans before the arrival of Pro Bowl quarterback C.J. Stroud via the draft, Mills has been a steady, reliable part of the organization for years.

“It’s exciting,” Mills said. “Obviously, very humbling, grateful for the organization and the guys upstairs making the decisions, the McNairs for bringing this organization back to the top of the league. It’s just exciting being a part of it."

Mills (6-foot-4, 225 pounds) has a 5-19-1 record as a starter, with all of those starts before the arrival of coach DeMeco Ryans as the Texans had losing records in 2021 and 2022.

Mills’ comeback victory he engineered over the Indianapolis Colts in the final game of the 2022 season meant the Texans would draft second overall instead of first, and they used that pick to select Stroud, a Heisman Trophy finalist from Ohio State named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year after his first season. In that game, he passed for 298 yards and three touchdown passes and a game-winning two-point conversion pass to tight end Jordan Akins.

The rapport and friendship between Mills and Stroud keeps growing each year.

With Stroud here, Mills has passed for 385 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions.

He’s been a part of the lean years in Houston and now gets to enjoy being a part of a two-time defending AFC South champion.

“That’s great,” Mills said. “I kind of control what I can control. Come in and put my best foot forward each day. Try to do what I can for the QB room to elevate the guys around me and elevate the rest of the offense. And just come in here and be a good teammate.

“I’ve always been in the mindset, try to keep things out of your control on the outside and then just come in here and put your head down and get to work. So, I’ve been continuing to do that. Obviously, preparing as hard as I can each week and bringing my best foot forward and try to be successful if I ever get my shot. If not, be successful and try to help the other guys around me be successful.”

Davis previously signed a one-year, $5 million extension with the Texans last year.

“Me and Davis have created a great relationship when I first came in,” Stroud said. “He’s always been really quiet, but, as time has went on, he’s definitely helped me out a ton. He helps me out not only on the field, but off. We have our little dinners and whatnot and just being able to talk to him and his wife and see where they come from and just really have brotherhood and fellowship has been amazing in that quarterback room, which I think is huge.

“So, I’m very excited for him, very happy for him. He’s grown as a player in my opinion, just in this offense, of owning it, owning his role and doing the things for the team to get better. I’m very happy and proud of him.”

Why sign a backup deal in Houston rather than perhaps look for an opportunity to compete elsewhere? It’s a fair question. It comes back to Mills being happy where his cleats are and having made a home in Houston with his wife. Mills recently announced the couple is expecting their first child.

“I think I’m still young in my career,” Mills said when he signed his last extension. “Hopefully, opportunities down the road will come. As of now, I’m really focused on what’s going on with the Texans organization and what I can do right here to make my teammates around me better and make myself better every day. Houston has been great to be. It’s been a lot of fun seeing how the team has progressed and I’m glad to be a part of it.”

It’s evident how much Mills has improved. He was sharper and more commanding. He appeared to be a bit more vocal than the past. And he played a lot faster, operating the offense like a basketball point guard.

“I think the big thing is this is my first season in the same scheme two years in a row,” Mills said. “A lot of that builds on itself. My mindset always has been to go out there and react, play quarterback, be a facilitator. Everything is going to happen post-snap. A lot of our progressions are based on, if the first guy isn’t open, get through it and be efficient.”

Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com