The Houston Texans head coach, DeMeco Ryans, made official what’s in store at quarterback if C.J. Stroud cannot go. With the franchise star in concussion protocol, Ryans cemented that Davis Mills will take over QB1 duties, setting up a pivotal Week 10 decision.

Thing is, Ryan’s never blinked on next-man-up, and there’s clarity regarding the situation as the team waits for medical clearance for Stroud.

Speaking with reporters following the Week 9 matchup and ahead of Week 10 preparations, Ryans confirmed Mills’ role.

”Davis has to step in and play. We just expect him to go out and do his best.”

The message was simple. They will be going with Mills in the absence of C.J. Stroud. The former starter entered after Stroud exited and completed 17 of 30 passes for 137 yards. Stroud left Sunday’s game after absorbing a hard upper-body hit. The quarterback immediately went to the ground and stayed there momentarily.

Stroud went into concussion protocol after surviving a hit on a third-and-8 scramble in the second quarter.

Ryan updated reporters on Stroud’s health, ”CJ’s in the concussion protocol. Spoke to him last night. He’s feeling a little bit better. We’ll see how the week goes and how he has progresses throughout the week.”

Traditionally, it’s been tough for injured players to return in less than a week under NFL concussion protocol, a high bar to clear in time for Week 10. Ryans further described the hit as “unnecessary roughness,” listing multiple examples of when it has been flagged and voiced frustration about why his quarterback wasn’t better protected.

”If I’m incorrect on the rules, I’ve seen that happen multiple times with our guys, and we get the penalty.”

As the team reflected on the loss, Ryans shared his thoughts on the challenges faced during the game and his perspective on the team’s performance.

What DeMeco Ryans said after the loss

The head coach, was visibly frustrated after the Week 9 loss. The offense struggled to stay effective, although Ryans gave credit to the backup quarterback who took over.

“I thought Davis battled, tried to do a good job there, he battled,” he said. The drives stalled, and the field goals substituted what had been potential touchdowns as the Texans were never able to get over the blow of losing their star quarterback. Even allowing for the circumstances, Ryans homed in on execution and missed opportunities over excuses.

“The defense, they did a good job of getting stops multiple times. We just sputtered there offensively, we lacked just being able to move the ball. We lacked just being able to sustain drives there in the second half. It just wasn’t good enough,” he said.

Denver’s defense forced Houston into short possessions, leaving the Texans unable to finish a competitive game. Still, Ryans remained focused on the bigger picture: resilience and accountability. He refused to let the conversation be about injuries alone, using the moment as an opportunity to reiterate expectations up and down the roster.

”It’s easy to stand up here and make excuses, but at the end of the day, I truly believe (injuries) happen all across the league all the time.” The Texans fought to the end and the effort was there but, as Ryans made clear, heart isn’t enough without execution.

With C.J. Stroud now in concussion protocol and the team sitting at 3-5, every phase will need to rise together if Houston wants to stay in the playoff hunt.