The Houston Texans have recovered nicely from a rough 0-3 start to the 2025 season, reeling off a pair of wins against the Tennessee Titans and Baltimore Ravens in consecutive weeks. With their bye week in Week 6, the Texans are getting some much-needed rest before returning for the remainder of the season.
There’s been a lot of chatter about the play of C.J. Stroud under center, especially with the offense struggling to consistently put points on the board. However, according to a recent report, Stroud’s backup, Davis Mills, was recently drawing trade interest from one of the most quarterback-needy teams in the league.
Bengals Had Trade Interest in Davis Mills
After getting selected in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft, Mills started for the Texans in the first two seasons of his career, before the team selected Stroud to come in and replace him. Given his knowledge of Houston’s offensive system and the fact that he has loads of game experience, the team made an effort to keep him around as a backup for Stroud.
With several teams dealing with injuries at the quarterback position, Mills has quickly become viewed as a valuable trade asset should the Texans be interested in moving on from him. One team that at least called to check in on Mills was the Cincinnati Bengals, as they need help at quarterback after Jake Browning struggled mightily when being tasked with replacing the injured Joe Burrow under center.
The Bengals eventually swung a deal with the Cleveland Browns for Joe Flacco, who will start for the team in Week 6 against the Green Bay Packers. However, he may not have been the team’s first option, as reports indicate that Cincinnati conducted a wide search for a new quarterback that included Mills.
“The Bengals’ exhaustive QB search including calling nearly all teams with 3 QBs or a viable PS option,” Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported in a post on X. “Among the names they inquired about: Davis Mills, Sam Howell and Derek Carr, who is still retired with the Saints. No call on Ryan Tannehill, who hasn’t played since 2023.”
Should the Texans Have Traded Davis Mills to the Browns?
GettyThe Bengals were interested in trading for Davis Mills from the Texans before landing Joe Flacco
Given the nature of the NFL, injuries are almost a certainty, which means that having a strong backup quarterback is almost as important as having a strong starter. The Bengals found that out the hard way, as Browning imploded in his three starts while filling in for Burrow. Ironically enough, Cincinnati thought it had one of the better backup quarterbacks in the league entering the year.
The Texans likely don’t want to find themselves in a similar situation as the Bengals if Stroud ends up getting hurt. Mills isn’t necessarily a great passer, but he has proven he can hold down the fort when called upon. So, unless Cincinnati was willing to offer a fantastic trade package for Mills, it shouldn’t necessarily come as a surprise that the team did not deal him.
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