The Stanford presence in the NFL is very prominent this season. Each and every year, the NFL has former Stanford stars spread all throughout the league, many of which end up becoming stars in the NFL. But in most seasons, only a couple end up becoming big names while the others may fly somewhat under the radar.
And for those players that fly under the radar, some get a chance that will change the trajectory of their career forever. That is exactly what is happening with former Stanford quarterback, Davis Mills, in 2025.
Serving as the backup quarterback to C.J. Stroud with the Houston Texans, Mills has gotten the chance to start the last couple of games with Stroud dealing with a concussion. And as the starter, Mills has delivered two memorable performances, including another big-time victory over the Tennessee Titans in Week 11.
It was a back and forth, hard fought game for the Texans from start to finish, trailing 3-0 at halftime in what was a defensive battle. In fact, it was not until around seven minutes left in the third quarter that the Texans would get on the board, with Mills connecting with Nico Collins for a three-yard touchdown pass to give the Texans a 7-6 lead after the PAT.
By the end of third quarter, after a Texans’ field goal, they held a 10-6 lead.
Houston Texans quarterback Davis Mills (10) hands off to running back Woody Marks (27) during the fourth quarter at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025. / Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
But the fourth quarter is when Mills’ heroics kicked in. Following an early fourth quarter field goal by the Texans to give them a 13-6 lead with under 12 minutes to go in the game, the Titans were able to tie things up at 13-13 with less than two minutes to go in regulation.
Facing overtime, the Texans got the ball one more time and were determined to win it. Lucky for them, Mills drove them down the field and into field goal range, where kicker Matthew Wright was able to convert a 35-yard field goal as time expired to give the Texans the 16-13 win. For the game, Mills finished completing 26 out of his 41 pass attempts for 274 yards and a touchdown.
After two successful seasons as Stanford’s starting quarterback in 2019 and 2020, Mills was drafted 67th overall by the Texans in the 2021 NFL Draft. After struggling as the full-time starter in his first two seasons, the Texans drafted Stroud second overall in 2023, and the rest is history.
But despite his initial struggles as a starter, Mills has proven to be an elite backup. With quarterback being the most important position in the entire NFL, Mills could still have a very long career in the league if he keeps playing this way.
In 14 total games played at Stanford, Mills completed 65.5% of his passes for 3,468 yards, 18 touchdowns and eight interceptions, and despite a smaller sample size and a lack of accolades, he was still a very effective quarterback for Stanford. Now, the question becomes how long he will continue to sling the rock in the NFL.
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