Lovie on Texans Starting QB: 'I'm Pumped!'

Despite shying away from anointing Davis Mills as the starter for 2022, Houston Texans' head coach Lovie Smith is excited about the potential of his young quarterback.

HOUSTON — Houston Texans coach Lovie Smith said starting jobs are not given out at this time of the year. But second-year quarterback Davis Mills has the upper hand to be the Texans' starter under center in 2022.

When the Texans drafted Mills as a third-round pick during the 2021 NFL Draft, the expectation for the project quarterback was to "redshirt" his rookie season as a backup to veteran Tyrod Taylor. 

But three weeks into the season, Mills got his first career start after Taylor sustained a hamstring injury in a loss to the Cleveland Browns. And while serving as the Texans' defensive coordinator, Smith got a first-hand glimpse into Mills' potential as a starting quarterback in the NFL.

"I got a chance to see Davis in a lot of different situations last year," Smith said at the NFL Combine on Wednesday. "Early on, he wasn't starting, so he worked against the first-team defense quite a bit. I love his demeanor. He's a smart guy, and teammates buy into him. I'm pumped up that he'll be leading us and excited about his future."

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Davis Mills

HOUSTON, TX - OCTOBER 10: Houston Texans quarterback Davis Mills (10) looks to throw downfield during the football game between the New England Patriots and Houston Texans at NRG Stadium on October 10, 2021 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Ken Murray/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Davis Mills

Davis Mills

Smith is encouraged by what he saw from Mills and believes he was just as good as other young quarterbacks around the league. When building his staff, Smith promoted Pep Hamilton from quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator to continue working with Mills.  

Mills started 11 games for the 4-13 Texans, finishing with the second-highest completion percentage among rookie quarterbacks at 66.8. While finishing his rookie campaign throwing for 2,664 yards, Mills registered the third-highest passer rating among first-year quarterbacks at 80.2.

"I feel like the arrow is up on Davis," Hamilton said on Feb. 8. "I think it was important that he had the experiences that he had — both good and bad. We have something to build on. We have something we can dissect to form a plan that will help him fundamentally and to understand NFL defenses — so we can play winning football next year."