Did Davis Mills' injury hurt his chances to backup CJ Stroud?

The Texans QB2 position has been one of the most talked about around Houston, with Davis Mills and Case Keenum in a tight battle to be CJ Stroud’s backup. The loser of that battle could be traded, as Keenum is also a free agent after this season. However, the Texans could get more from Mills in a trade rather than Keenum and have a more experienced vet in Stroud’s ear. This week's final preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams will be big in deciding who won the job.

Mills is in the last year of his rookie contract and has no path to the field in Houston. However, the team could keep him around for another year as insurance considering he has the most experience in this offense and has played well when starting. 

Mills has played very well throughout training camp and in two preseason games. If you’ve followed any training camp reports or have been there yourself, it’s been clear who the favorite is. Keenum has struggled for the majority of the battle, while Mills builds a connection with many of the depth receivers. That has transferred over well into preseason games, as he’s hit Xavier Hutchinson for a touchdown. The two have built up a nice connection through the last few weeks, and that surely hasn’t gone unnoticed by the coaching staff. 

There’s only one issue, Mills is injured. He suffered an injury to his ribs last week that forced him to miss their game against the New York Giants. Depending on the severity of his injury, his path to finding a new home in 2024 became much tougher. Head Coach Demeco Ryans indicated last week that he’s not worried about Mills, saying “Everything is good with Davis,” Ryans said. “Feel good about Davis. He’s done a really good job for us all throughout training camp and the preseason, so feel good about Davis.”

His injury shouldn’t hurt his chances of winning the starting job. Mills seems to be so far ahead of Keenum in this battle, and he will likely be back practicing this week. Keenum needs to have a perfect game to be considered for the job, and based on Saturday’s game, he’s further behind than people think. He finished the day with 73 yards and a touchdown on 7/13 passing and the offense seemed to stall out when Keenum entered the game. 

The Texans may keep a third quarterback on the practice squad, and Tim Boyle maybe that guy. Keenum will have interest around the league, but his time in Houston is drawing to a close. The Texans will have more work to do with Mills presumably leaving after this season. But for now, those will be the two quarterbacks that Houston keeps.