Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud had to leave Sunday's game against the Denver Broncos early after he hit his head hard on the turf.
Stroud was trying to run for a first down, but was tackled hard as his head snapped back onto the field. The third-year quarterback was immediately taken to the injury tent to be evaluated for a concussion and has yet to return to the game.
Therefore, the Texans will turn to their backup quarterback to try and pull off a huge win over the Broncos. Davis Mills is no stranger to the organization and is one of the more familiar backup quarterbacks in the league.
Here's a look at how Houston's QB depth chart stands.
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Texans QB depth chart
| Rank | Player |
| 1. | C.J. Stroud |
| 2. | Davis Mills |
| 3. | Graham Mertz |
C.J. Stroud
Stroud has been the Texans starter since he was drafted in 2023. Over the past three seasons, Stroud has played in a total of 40 regular-season games, missing just one contest in his career thus far.
So far this year, Stroud has totaled 1,623 passing yards, 11 touchdowns and five interceptions for the 3-4 Texans.
Davis Mills
Backing up Stroud is Davis Mills, a veteran quarterback who has been with Houston for his entire career. Houston drafted Mills in the third round of the 2021 NFL draft, and after starting 26 games for the Texans in his first two seasons, has settled into the backup role.
Since 2023, Mills has played in 11 games and produced over 400 passing yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.
Graham Mertz
Graham Mertz spent six years in college between Wisconsin and Florida before the Texans drafted him in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL draft. So far in his rookie season, Mertz has served as the third-string quarterback and has yet to appear in a regular-season game.
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What happened to C.J. Stroud?
Stroud appeared to suffer a head injury after he landed hard on his helmet in a play. The third-year quarterback was immediately taken to the sidelines to be evaluated for a concussion.
Uh oh… CJ Stroud is down after that hit.#Texans #CJStroud #NFL pic.twitter.com/ZVKZ6h1we7
— Aggregate Sports (@AggregateSports) November 2, 2025
The Texans initially announced that Stroud was questionable to return as he was being evaluated by the medical staff. However, after later inspection, Stroud was ruled out for the game.