They say the quarterback of an NFL team is the most important player. There are doubts about that sentiment, but it's not completely untrue. A good quarterback can change everything. Just look at the San Francisco 49ers, who went from an average quarterback in Jimmy Garappalo to a good quarterback in Brock Purdy.
Look at the Houston Texans and C.J. Stroud. His arrival changed the direction of the franchise. No longer were they a team that was looking for a direction and an identity. Now they were a team looking for the final pieces to their championship-contending puzzle. That was because of Stroud's arrival.
Now, you can build a team around a competent quarterback and still win, it's just harder. That's why it's good to have a quarterback the caliber of Stroud, but it's also why you need a talented backup behind him. If you don't, you are not going to succeed in this league should something happen to your star.
Some of the best teams in history have failed because they lost their starter at the position. Think about how good the 2003 Atlanta Falcons or the 2005 Minnesota Vikings were expected to be. Yet injuries to Michael Vick and Daunte Culpepper ruined their seasons. Heck, look at the 2023 New York Jets when Aaron Rodgers went down.
You need a good backup. The Texans have a great backup in Davis Mills. The team's former starter and one of the best 32 quarterbacks in the NFL. He's not as productive as Stroud, but in a pinch Mills can do a lot of good for a team. He's a steady hand, with a big arm and decent enough accuracy. A player that is closer to Matt Schaub or Matt Cassell in talent, but that's not a dig at Mills.
He could be a Pro Bowl quarterback in the right system with the right guys around him. Think Andy Dalton to Stroud's Joe Burrow. A Bengals' analogy notwithstanding, the Texans know how valuable Mills is to the team. After all, their offensive line isn't great and Stroud already missed roughly three games last year in part due to that.
If Stroud goes down again, the Texans need to ensure they don't go 1-2 without him. Mills can carry the load for a few games if necessary and it looks like the franchise agrees with us. They gave the backup a new extension that will run through next season, ensuring the Texans have a great backup for at least the next two seasons to come.
If Mills does fill in for Stroud over the next two seasons and shows out, there's a good chance he gets signed by another team to start for them. While that would suck for the Texans faithful, that would be an awesome story for Mills. He was given a bum wrap in his first two years in the league but he showed he can be a good starter despite the lack of talent around him.
So if he is poached, then we'd be happy for him, but we don't need to worry about him going anywhere for the next two seasons at least.
