Davis Mills Bio
Davis Compton Mills (born October 21, 1998) is an American professional football quarterback for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Stanford Cardinal and was selected by the Texans in the third round of the 2021 NFL draft. Mills served as Houston’s primary starter during his first two NFL seasons before moving into a backup role after the Texans drafted C. J. Stroud. He is married to Tori Wisted, his high-school sweetheart, and the couple wed in early 2024.
Early Life and Background
Davis Compton Mills was born on October 21, 1998, in Atlanta, Georgia, and grew up in nearby Norcross, Georgia. He attended Greater Atlanta Christian School, where he starred as a quarterback and built a reputation as one of the top high-school prospects in the country. During his prep career, Mills threw for 6,290 yards and 66 touchdowns, and he was selected to the 2017 U.S. Army All-American Bowl, though he was unable to participate because of an injury.
Mills was rated as a five-star recruit and ranked as the top quarterback in his class. His combination of size, arm strength, and football intelligence drew attention from programs across the country. He ultimately committed to Stanford University, choosing the Cardinal for their academic reputation and their track record of developing pro-style quarterbacks. His path to the NFL would eventually be built on the foundation he developed in Norcross and the promise he showed as a teenager.
Path to Professional Football
After arriving at Stanford, Mills redshirted his freshman year in 2017 and used that season to learn the offensive system. In 2018, he appeared in one game as a backup to K. J. Costello and gained his first taste of college action. The following year, with Costello injured, Mills stepped into the starting role and started six of eight games, including a Stanford-record 504-yard passing performance against Washington State.
Mills finished the 2019 season completing 158 of 241 passes for 1,960 yards, 11 touchdowns, and five interceptions. During Stanford’s pandemic-shortened 2020 schedule, he played in five games and completed 129 of 195 passes for 1,508 yards, seven touchdowns, and three interceptions. He graduated with a degree in Science, Technology, and Society in 2020, completing his academic work before turning fully to professional football. His steady development at Stanford positioned him as a third-round pick in the 2021 NFL draft.
Davis Mills Career
Early Career (2021)
The Houston Texans selected Mills with the 67th overall pick in the third round of the 2021 NFL draft. He signed his four-year rookie contract, worth $5.2 million, with the team on May 26, 2021. With Deshaun Watson ruled inactive, Mills opened the season as the backup to Tyrod Taylor. He made his NFL debut in Week 2 against the Cleveland Browns after Taylor was hurt, throwing for 102 yards, a touchdown, and an interception in a 31–21 road loss.
Mills made his first start the following week against the Carolina Panthers, passing for 168 yards and a touchdown in a 24–9 loss. He struggled the next week against the Buffalo Bills, throwing four interceptions in a 40–0 defeat, but rebounded in Week 5 against the New England Patriots with 312 passing yards and three touchdowns. After Taylor returned, Mills continued to develop on the sideline before eventually being named the starter for the rest of the season, earning his first career win in Week 15 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Texans Starter Era (2022)
With Watson traded to the Cleveland Browns and Taylor departing, Mills was named the Texans’ starting quarterback for the 2022 season. He opened the year against the Indianapolis Colts, completing 23 of 37 passes for 240 yards and two touchdowns in a 20–20 tie. Through the first half of the season, Mills showed flashes of consistency while operating behind a young and reshuffled offensive line.
Following a Week 11 loss to the Washington Commanders, Mills was briefly benched in favor of Kyle Allen, but he was reinserted as the starter after the team lost its next two games. In the season finale against the Colts, Mills engineered one of the most dramatic finishes of the year. Trailing 31–24 with under a minute left, he completed a touchdown pass to Jordan Akins and connected on the two-point conversion to give the Texans a 32–31 lead. The win sealed a 3–13–1 season for Houston and cost the franchise the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft, contributing to the dismissal of head coach Lovie Smith.
Backup Years (2023–2024)
After the Texans selected C. J. Stroud with the second overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft, Mills moved into a backup role. He finished the 2023 season with 173 passing yards and two touchdowns in six games without a start. On September 4, 2024, Mills signed a one-year, $5 million extension with Houston, securing his place on the roster through 2025.
Mills saw most of his playing time in the 2024 regular-season finale against the Tennessee Titans, with Houston’s playoff position already secured. He completed 12 of 22 passes for 128 yards in a 23–14 road victory, closing out a season that ended with 212 passing yards in four games. His steady presence in the quarterback room helped the Texans maintain depth as Stroud emerged as a franchise cornerstone.
Davis Mills Career Wins
Mills has secured a small but growing list of regular-season victories as both a starter and a reliever for the Houston Texans. His first career win came in 2021 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, and he added another the following week against the Los Angeles Chargers. After serving primarily as a backup for parts of two seasons, he returned to action in 2025 with multiple comeback wins.
NFL Regular Season Highlights
Mills’ first career win came in Week 15 of the 2021 season, when he completed 19 of 30 passes for 209 yards and two touchdowns in a 30–16 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. The following week, he guided the Texans to a 41–29 upset of the Los Angeles Chargers, completing 21 of 27 passes for 254 yards and two scores. During the 2022 season finale, his late comeback against the Indianapolis Colts delivered another dramatic victory and instantly became one of the most memorable finishes in franchise history.
Davis Mills Family
Family Background and Personal Life
Davis Compton Mills was raised in the Atlanta metropolitan area and built his early football foundation at Greater Atlanta Christian School in Norcross, Georgia. The school environment and the wider Atlanta sports community helped shape his development as a young quarterback. His commitment to Stanford marked the next step in a family-supported path toward a professional career.
Personal Life
Mills married Tori Wisted on February 17, 2024. The couple met in high school and became engaged in 2023 before tying the knot the following year. Their relationship has been a steady presence throughout Mills’ NFL journey, including his transition between starter and backup roles in Houston.
2025 Season Performance
On September 2, 2025, Mills agreed to a one-year, $7 million contract extension with the Houston Texans, reinforcing his value as a veteran backup. His role grew significantly in mid-November when C. J. Stroud suffered a concussion, leading to Mills being named the starter for the Week 10 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Trailing 29–10 at one stage, Mills led a 36–29 comeback win, passing for two touchdowns and rushing for the game-winner while finishing with 292 passing yards and an interception.
He followed that performance with 274 passing yards and a touchdown in a 16–13 road victory over the Tennessee Titans, and added 153 passing yards with two touchdowns in a 23–19 Thursday Night Football win over the Buffalo Bills. With Stroud’s status still uncertain, Mills has emerged as a stabilizing force for a Texans team pushing for the postseason. His recent play has provided the Texans with a reliable bridge and shown the growth of a quarterback who once set the franchise’s rookie passing record. With his contract running through 2025, Mills remains a key piece of Houston’s quarterback picture heading into the final stretch of the season.