The Houston Texans will be preparing for Week 11 without their franchise quarterback. C.J. Stroud. This leaves them to lean on their depth chart as the playoff race tightens. At 4-5 and fighting to stay alive in the AFC Wild Card hunt, here’s an injury update on Stroud and a complete look at Houston’s quarterback options as he continues recovery.
C.J. Stroud Injury Update: What Happened?
The Texans are facing another week without Stroud as he has been ruled out of Sunday’s road matchup against the Tennessee Titans, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Head coach DeMeco Ryans confirmed on Thursday that the star QB remains in the NFL’s concussion protocol.
Stroud has not practiced since suffering the concussion in Week 9, when he took a heavy hit while sliding during Houston’s 18-15 loss to the Denver Broncos. The impact snapped his upper body backward and slammed his head into the turf, forcing Davis Mills to finish the game.
This is the second diagnosed concussion of Stroud’s NFL career. He previously missed two games late in the 2023 season, and despite optimism early in the week, Stroud has not logged a single practice rep ahead of Week 11.
Before the injury, Stroud was in the middle of his third straight strong season, completing 66.5% of his passes for 1,702 yards, 11 touchdowns, and five interceptions, while adding 189 rushing yards.
CJ Stroud has been ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Titans; QB Davis Mills starts again.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 13, 2025
According to PFSN’s Quarterback Impact (QBi) Rating, he posted a 75.2 score and a grade of ‘C’ while ranking 19th among the signal callers in the 2025 NFL season so far.
Who Are the Other Quarterbacks for the 2025 Houston Texans Behind Stroud?
Davis Mills
With Stroud sidelined, the Texans will turn to a familiar face in Davis Mills, who has been in Houston for all five years of his career, starting 26 games and functioning as one of the league’s more experienced QB2s.
Across five seasons and logging over 6,600 passing yards, 37 touchdowns, and a 62.2% career completion rate. The 27-year-old knows the system and the personnel, which he showed last week when he stabilized the offense when the Texans needed him most.
Mills delivered a massive performance in the 36-29 comeback win over Jacksonville, accounting for 312 total yards, including 292 passing and three touchdowns, including the game-winning scoring run with 31 seconds remaining.
His control in the fourth quarter, when Houston scored 26 unanswered points, is exactly why the unit can trust him while Stroud remains in the concussion protocol. He may not replicate Stroud’s arm talent, but he’s been efficient enough to keep the offense moving. With three divisional games in the next four weeks, the Texans will rely on Mills.
Graham Mertz
Backing up Mills in Week 11 as QB2 will be rookie Graham Mertz, a sixth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. He was a highly decorated high school passer in Kansas and an MVP of the All-American Bowl after throwing five touchdowns.
At Blue Valley North, he set a state record with 51 touchdowns as a senior, cementing himself as one of the top pocket passers in the 2019 recruiting class. His college career took him from Wisconsin to Florida, where he started a combined 37 games, throwing for over 8,000 yards.
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He had his best stretch in 2023 with the Gators, completing 72.9% of his passes for 2,903 yards, 20 touchdowns, and just three interceptions. Mertz doesn’t have NFL game experience yet, and the Texans view him as a developmental project.
He showed steady progress throughout training camp and preseason, earning the backup role while Tim Boyle was released during roster cutdowns. For now, Mertz is Houston’s emergency plan to stay ready behind Stroud and Mills while learning Nick Caley’s system.
