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.[9] 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.[10] 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.[11]
Mills was selected 67th overall by the Houston Texans in the third round of the 2021 NFL draft.[14] He signed his four-year rookie contract, worth $5.2 million, with the Texans on May 26, 2021.[15]
Due to incumbent starting quarterback Deshaun Watson being ruled inactive, Mills was named the second option behind Tyrod Taylor.[16] 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 21–31 defeat.[17][18] Mills made his starting debut against the Carolina Panthers the following week, in which he threw for 168 yards and a touchdown in a 9–24 home loss. [19][20] In Week 4, Mills struggled against the Buffalo Bills, completing 11 of 21 passes for 87 yards and four interceptions in a 0–40 shutout defeat on the road.[21] Mills rebounded the following week against the New England Patriots when he completed 21 of 29 passes for 312 yards and three touchdowns in the narrow 22–25 loss, surrendering a 22–9 lead early in the third quarter.[22]
Mills resumed his backup duties after Taylor returned in Week 9, but the latter's ineffective performances led to Mills replacing him in the fourth quarter during a 0–31 shutout defeat in Week 13 against the Indianapolis Colts.[23][24][25] Following the game, Mills was announced as the starter for the remainder of the season.[26] He made his first career win in Week 15 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, completing 19 of 30 passes for 209 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception in the 30–16 victory.[27] The following week, he helped lead the Texans to a 41–29 upset over the Los Angeles Chargers at home.[28]
For his rookie season, in 13 games and 11 starts, Mills set the franchise record for rookie passing yards at 2,664, passing David Carr's record of 2,592 yards (2002).[29] This record would be passed yet again in 2023 by C.J. Stroud with 4,108 passing yards.[30] His 16 passing touchdowns and 66.8 completion percentage were the second-highest among rookie quarterbacks for the season, behind Mac Jones (22 passing touchdowns and 67.6 completion percentage).[31]
With Watson traded to the Browns and the departure of Taylor, Mills was named the Texans' starter for the 2022 season. In Week 1 against the Colts, he completed 23 of 37 passes for 240 yards and two touchdowns in the 20–20 tie.[32][33] Following a Week 11 loss of 10–23 to the Washington Commanders in a 5-game losing stretch, Mills was benched in favor of Kyle Allen for the Texans' Week 12 matchup against the Miami Dolphins.[34] After Allen and the Texans lost the next two games, Mills was made starter again.[35] In the season finale against the Colts, as Houston was down 24–31 with 58 seconds left in the game at 4th-and-20 on Indianapolis' 28 yard line, Mills threw a completed pass to Jordan Akins for a touchdown. With a subsequent 2-point attempt tacked on by Mills and Akins, the Texans led 32–31 with 50 seconds left as the Colts got the ball back. With the help of Tremon Smith, the Texans won.[36] Hours later, Texans' head coach Lovie Smith was fired as the win cost Houston the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft, the pick instead going to Smith's former Chicago Bears.[37] For the 2022 season, Mills finished with 292 passes for 3,118 yards, 17 passing touchdowns and 15 interceptions to go along with two rushing touchdowns in 15 games and starts, as Houston finished with a 3–13–1 record.[38][39]
After the Texans selected C. J. Stroud in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft, Mills was named the Texans' backup after a preseason competition with Stroud, and Case Keenum was named third-string after being signed to the team in the offseason.[40] Mills appeared in six regular season games through the second half of the season, generating most of his season stats in a Christmas Eve game against the Browns in Week 16. After Stroud was ruled out with a concussion he sustained in Week 14,[41] Keenum was named starter, but was benched after the start of the fourth quarter as Houston was behind 7–36. Mills was able to generate some momentum, scoring in 2 of the next 4 drives and cutting the Browns' lead to 22–36 in Houston's loss. He also appeared in the Texans' Wild Card 45–14 win against the Browns in relief. In the regular season, he completed 18 of 39 passes for 173 yards and two touchdowns.[42]
On September 4, Mills signed a one-year, $5 million extension with the Texans through 2025.[43] He appeared in four games during the 2024 regular season as Stroud's backup, primarily seeing most of his action in Week 18 with the Texans' playoff position secured.[44] In the season finale against the Tennessee Titans, after Stroud scored in Houston's first drive at the start of the game, Mills completed 12-of-22 passes for 128 yards and no touchdowns as he guided Houston to a 23–14 victory.[45]
↑ 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.
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