QB Davis Mills 'definitely comfortable' serving as Texans' leader

Davis Mills week continues at the Houston Texans during the early days of their offseason program. 

New Houston head coach Lovie Smith offered the latest public vote of confidence for Mills when he told reporters on Monday he was a "believer" in the 2021 third-round draft pick, while offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton explained that the 23-year-old needs to speed up his dropbacks to help him with making "faster decisions and executing at a high level." 

Mills appeared in 13 games and made only 11 starts as a rookie, meaning he hasn't yet played one full NFL season's worth of action. Despite that reality, he remarked at a press conference that he's already built confidence in his ability to serve as a team leader at the sport's top position. 

"I’m definitely comfortable," Mills said of holding a leadership role with the Texans, per Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. "I think the biggest thing is being a leader for the team. It starts with showing up every day. Showing the team that you are here to put in work. I think people mention a lot that the quarterback’s role is a vocal leader and I think that comes with the position. I’ve been doing that my whole life so I’m ready for that challenge and that standpoint of it. 

"The biggest thing is going out and showing up every day in meeting rooms, weight room, on the field and gaining the respect of my teammates so I can take on that role." 

By not swapping Deshaun Watson for Baker Mayfield in last month's blockbuster trade with the Cleveland Browns, the Texans demonstrated their faith in Mills to, in Smith's own words, be "our quarterback going into the season." Unless Houston makes a move for somebody such as San Francisco 49ers veteran Jimmy Garoppolo this spring or early summer, the club's QB1 job is Mills' to lose moving forward.