Davis Mills is set to be behind center once again for the Texans this week.
In his Thursday press conference, Houston head coach DeMeco Ryans ruled out quarterback C.J. Stroud for the Week 11 matchup against Tennessee, as Stroud continues to work his way through the concussion protocol.
Stroud also missed the Week 10 win over the Jaguars. He has not practiced since Week 9.
With a short week incoming — the Texans host the Bills on Thursday night in Week 12 — there’s a possibility Stroud will miss three consecutive games.
Last week was Mills’ first start since 2022. He completed 27-of-45 passes for 292 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. He also rushed for 20 yards with a TD.
Though Mills was listed on Houston’s Wednesday injury report with a left elbow issue, he was still a full participant in the session.
In his eight games this season, Stroud has completed 66.5 percent of his passes for 1,702 yards with 11 touchdowns and five interceptions.
Ryans also noted safety Jalen Pitre (concussion) and kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn (right quad) have been ruled out for Texans-Titans. The club brought in Matthew Wright to kick last week, and he made his two attempts — a field goal and an extra point.
Houston’s full Thursday injury report will be released later in the day.
Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud remained out of practice on Wednesday as he remains in concussion protocol. It is not a good sign for his return this week.
That would give Davis Mills a second consecutive start.
Mills popped up on Wednesday’s practice report with a left elbow injury, though he was a full participant.
Besides Stroud, the Texans also worked without defensive end Denico Autry (knee), tight end Harrison Bryant (neck/shoulder), kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn (right quad), safety Jalen Pitre (concussion) and tight end Dalton Schultz (shoulder).
Linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair (knee), linebacker Jake Hansen (elbow), offensive guard Ed Ingram (knee) and tight end Cade Stover (foot) were limited.
Wide receiver Braxton Berrios (quad), linebacker Christian Harris (shin), offensive lineman Tytus Howard (concussion) and fullback Jakob Johnson (hamstring) were full participants.
The Texans placed safety M.J. Stewart on injured reserve, the team announced Wednesday.
Stewart will miss the rest of the season after injuring his quadriceps in Sunday’s win over the Jaguars. He started the past three games for Houston and had 25 tackles and a forced fumble in his nine appearances.
The Texans signed cornerback Myles Bryant to the active roster from the practice squad in a corresponding move.
Bryant was out of elevations after playing three games. He has seen action on 51 defensive snaps and 30 on special teams, totaling seven tackles.
The Texans signed rookie tight end Layne Pryor to the practice squad.
Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud is not be on the practice field to kick off the practice week.
Stroud missed Week 10 with a concussion and head coach DeMeco Ryans said on Monday that Stroud remains in the concussion protocol. The lack of practice means that Stroud still has some steps to take before he’ll be in position to get cleared to play against the Titans this weekend.
Davis Mills got the start in Houston’s win over the Jaguars last Sunday and is in line for another start as long as Stroud remains out.
Right guard Tytus Howard and safety Jalen Pitre were also in the protocol to start the week. Howard is practicing on Wednesday while Pitre is out along with Stroud.
Texans defensive end Danielle Hunter made life miserable for Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence last Sunday.
Hunter had 3.5 sacks of Lawrence over the course of Houston’s 36-29 win over the Jags. The half-sack came on Jacksonville’s final possession of the game and Hunter also forced a fumble on one of his solo takedowns of the quarterback.
The NFL announced on Wednesday that Hunter has been named the AFC defensive player of the week. It’s the first time Hunter has taken that honor, but he did earn a pair of NFC honors while he was with the Vikings.
Hunter has 27.5 tackles, 7.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery on the year.
