by: Nick Kosko 12 hours ago nickkosko59
ESPN’s Booger McFarland isn’t ready to give up on C.J. Stroud with the Houston Texans just yet. But, the former defensive lineman claimed Stroud should be in an open competition next season.
“If I’m Houston I pick up the 5th year option for Stroud and I have an open competition between Mills and Stroud next fall,”McFarland wrote on Twitter/X. Stroud is about to enter Year 4 in the NFL.
Davis Mills started three games in place of an injured Stroud this year and went 3-0. In total, Mills had 915 yards, five touchdowns and one interception to go along with a 57.2% completion percentage. Mills has been on the Texans since they drafted him in 2021 and has 7,082 yards, 40 touchdowns, 26 interceptions and a 61.8% completion percentage, going 8-19-1 as as starter.
Stroud is under contract for 2026 and with a fifth-year option, would be for 2027. Meanwhile, Mills signed a one-year extension, keeping him under contract in Houston through the 2026 season before free agency in ’27.
A third round pick out of Stanford, Mills has shown flashes, but nothing groundbreaking in his career. At this point, the same goes for Stroud, who broke out as a rookie in 2023.