Mills started the Texans' 21-17 preseason loss to the Bears on Thursday and completed 10 of 13 passes for 102 yards and a touchdown while also netting no gain on two carries.
Mills, who's entering the final year of his rookie contract and is battling veteran Case Keenum for the No. 2 job this summer, made a strong opening case for his candidacy Thursday. The 2021 third-round pick completed a six-yard pass to Xavier Hutchinson on the first play from scrimmage and went on to cap off the game-opening 13-play, 74-yard march with a nine-yard touchdown toss to tight end Teagan Quitoriano. Mills completed two drives overall before giving way to Keenum, who was productive in his own right. The job battle is likely to last through the remainder of the preseason schedule, with both players offering the benefit of plenty of experience and solid mobility.