Texans QB C.J. Stroud hasn’t played since Week 9 against the Broncos. Tim Warner / Getty Images
Houston Texans starting quarterback C.J. Stroud will not play this Thursday night against the Buffalo Bills, coach DeMeco Ryans said Tuesday. It will be the third straight game Stroud has missed since suffering a concussion in Houston’s Week 9 loss to the Denver Broncos.
Backup Davis Mills will once again get the start at quarterback for Houston.
While Stroud is out again, the QB is making progress in getting through the league’s concussion protocol. The third-year passer returned to practice Tuesday, but with the Texans on a short week, there was not enough time for Stroud to recover sufficiently to play versus the Bills.
In his previous two starts, Mills led the Texans to back-to-back wins over the Jaguars and Titans, throwing for a combined 566 yards and three touchdowns, with just one interception, to go along with 44 rushing yards and another score.
The victories not only got the Texans (5-5) back to .500, but were crucial in keeping Houston’s playoff hopes alive. According to our NFL Playoff Simulator, the Texans still have about a 24% chance of making the playoffs. The reigning AFC South champions trail the Colts (8-2) and the Jaguars (6-4) in the division.
While Stroud won’t play Thursday, his next opportunity to make his return will be Week 13 against the Colts.
Nov 19, 2025
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