Texans' Tyrod Taylor on IR, out at least three games with hurt hamstring

Houston Texans head coach David Culley confirmed earlier in the day that rookie quarterback Davis Mills will start Thursday's prime-time game against the Carolina Panthers after starter Tyrod Taylor injured his left hamstring in the first half of this past Sunday's loss at the Cleveland Browns. 

Culley offered no timetable for Taylor's recovery, but it's now known he'll miss at least a few games. 

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Tuesday afternoon that the Texans have placed Taylor on injured reserve. Per NFL rules, the veteran must sit out a minimum of three games on IR, meaning he will be sidelined this Thursday and for matchups against the Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots. 

It's unknown if Taylor will be cleared to face the Indianapolis Colts on Oct. 17. 

Mills replaced Taylor in Cleveland and completed 8-of-18 passes for 102 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Star signal-caller Deshaun Watson is expected to remain inactive as he still hopes to be traded while facing 22 lawsuits alleging acts of sexual assault and misconduct and 10 criminal complaints. It's widely assumed Watson will never play for Houston again even if he stays attached to the club and sits through the entire campaign.