Report: Texans Expected To Bench Davis Mills, Start Kyle Allen This Week At QB

John McClain says the Texans are expected to turn to QB Kyle Allen as the starter ahead of Davis Mills this week, although HC Lovie Smith declined to make an official announcement. 

Mills’ status has come into question after his struggles have contributed to Houston’s 1-8-1 record, particularly in a non-competitive loss to the Commanders last week. 

While Smith has refused to name a starter for what he calls competitive reasons, he did leave the door open for a change on Monday. 

The Texans elected to go into this season with Mills as the starter to see if he could prove he deserved to be their long-term answer at the position. Given this news, it seems safe to say he won’t be. 

Allen, 26, signed on with the Panthers as an undrafted free agent back in 2018. Allen was waived coming out of the preseason before the Panthers added him to their practice squad before being promoted late in the season.

The Panthers re-signed Allen to a one-year contract in 2020, but later traded him to Washington for a fifth-round pick. Allen was placed on the injured reserve list after undergoing surgery for a dislocated ankle in November. 

Allen was slated to be a restricted free agent in 2022 when the Commanders declined to tender him. He signed a one-year deal with the Houston Texans. 

In 2021, Allen appeared in two games for Washington and completed 12 of 19 passing attempts for 120 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. He also rushed twice for 11 yards. 

Mills, 24, was a third-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft out of Stanford. He’s in the second year of his four-year, $5.2 million contract and set to earn base salaries of $1.1 million and $1.4 million in the final two years of his deal.  

In 2022, Mills has made 10 starts for the Texans and completed 61.9 percent of his pass attempts for 2,144 yards 11 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He’s added 17 rush attempts for 38 yards and another score.