Texans' C.J. Stroud out vs. Titans with Concussion; Davis Mills, Keenum Could Start

Houston Texans star rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud will not play in Sunday's game against the Tennessee Titans due to a concussion, the team announced on Saturday.

Dianna Russini of The Athletic first reported Stroud would not play on Friday. He was initially listed as doubtful for Sunday's game on the team's injury report.

Stroud was placed in concussion protocol after Houston's Week 14 loss to the New York Jets. He exited the game in the fourth quarter after hitting his head when he was taken to the ground after completing a pass. He was replaced by Davis Mills, who completed one pass for four yards.

The game against New York was by far the worst of Stroud's young career. He entered the week leading the NFL in passing yards but struggled against a stingy Jets defense, throwing for just 91 yards on 10-of-23 passing while getting sacked four times.

Still, Stroud remains the frontrunner for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year thanks to the impressive start to his career. He now ranks second in the league with 3,631 yards while adding 20 touchdowns against just five interceptions.

The 2023 No. 2 pick has helped engineer a swift turnaround for a Texans franchise that had won four games or less in each of the past three years, as they have a 7-6 record entering Week 15. However, Houston's schedule to end the season won't be easy with two games against the Titans, a matchup against the Cleveland Browns and their season finale against the Indianapolis Colts.

With Stroud out, Mills or veteran Case Keenum could be under center on Sunday. DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN reported Friday that both quarterbacks split reps in practice this week. Bien-Aime also noted that head coach DeMeco Ryans did not say if Mills would start when asked by reporters.

A 2021 third-round pick, Mills threw for 3,118 yards, 17 touchdowns and 15 interceptions in 15 games in 2022.