The Houston Texans handed the keys to the offense to Davis Mills for 2022.
For better or worse, the Texans will get a fair evaluation of their former 2021 third-round pick — the first of the Nick Caserio era at No. 68 overall from Stanford — as he won’t have to participate in a quarterback battle in training camp. All first-team reps are Mills’ for all intents and purposes.
Rex Burkhead has spent plenty of time in his career around a variety of quarterbacks from Andy Dalton to Tom Brady. Burkhead has also seen young signal callers develop or be thrust under center in A.J. McCarron in 2015 with the Cincinnati Bengals or in the 2020 offseason when the New England Patriots would have liked for Jarrett Stidham to win a quarterback battle with Cam Newton.
According to the 31-year-old running back, Mills has excelled as a leader throughout the Texans’ offseason program.
“I think Davis has done a great job making sure we’re all in the right place,” Burkhead told reporters after organized team activities June 1 at Houston Methodist Training Center. “He’s so comfortable this year in the spring and really with the playbook. It’s kind of amazing.”
Mills has even grown as a field general to where he knows the assignments and alignments of his teammates.
“He knows where guys are lined up,” said Burkhead. “Even myself coming out there, a new play, and he’s like, you’re right here, you’ve got this. I’m like, all right, that’s pretty awesome for a second-year quarterback. Yeah, it’s been a joy seeing him grow every single day especially in his leadership.”
Mills went 2-9 as a starter in 2021, but provided optimism in Houston’s final five games with a 2-3 record to go with a 9-2 touchdown to interception ratio and a 102.4 passer rating. If the Texans are able to get that level of efficiency in a full season from Mills, it should keep Caserio away from using the Texans’ four first-round picks over the next two drafts on a quarterback.
