Did Pep Hamilton confirm this will be Mills’ final game with Texans?

Maybe he didn’t intend to, but a comment made by Pep Hamilton Thursday certainly could be interpreted that way.

It wasn’t a matter of Houston Texans offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton trying to boldly make a statement, even though it wouldn’t exactly be all that bold at this point. It’s a foregone conclusion the Texans will draft a quarterback with the highest of their first-round selections in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Hamilton was asked Thursday about the importance of the quarterback position.

“The obvious is that you touch the ball on every play when you line up behind the center. More importantly, you look at the state of quarterback play in this league now. There’s a premium on guys that can solve problems. I’m not just talking about from a decision-making standpoint. I’m talking about solving problems with their legs and instinctively. Just making plays and creating plays, creating their own yards in some cases. At times in this past game, Davis (Mills) was able to run around, extend plays and make some plays. The quarterback is required to be a playmaker now, just as much as someone who can facilitate the offense. That’s our ultimate goal, to have winning quarterback play consistently for all 17 games of the regular season.”

Now Mills isn’t a statue in the Phil Simms/Drew Bledsoe mold, but he is not the kind of player referred to in this league as a “mobile quarterback,” either. However, it is notable that Hamilton specifically mentioned needing a QB who can make plays with their feet. While Mills has occasionally made a play with his feet, they are few and far between, and it will never be his strong suit. Coincidentally, there are two quarterbacks expected to go at the top of the draft who are both extremely athletic. (For NCIS fans, you may be familiar with Gibbs Rule 39: There is no such thing as a coincidence.)

This answer led to a question asking Hamilton what his message is to Davis Mills as his second year in the NFL concludes, and he said something interesting.

“You’ve often heard me say that you can’t teach experience. There’s been a lot to learn and a lot to gain from in the trials that we’ve faced. Ultimately, it’s the resistance. You’re trying to get to the point where we are consistent in all of the above – our decision-making, our accuracy, and our ability to manage the pocket. Making good decisions with the football and making plays, you can’t simulate that in any other setting than the game. So, take advantage of every opportunity that we have in a live pocket to go out and improve in those areas. But it’s not about improving on the job; it’s about doing the job. He’ll get one more shot at it.”

It could have been an innocuous statement explaining that there is only one more game left in the season, and therefore only one game to show what he has learned this season. Simple enough, right?

Or could it have been more?

Could it have been Hamilton subtly stating publicly what the world already knows? The Texans will take a quarterback at 1 (or 2 if they foolishly win Sunday and the Bears lose), and Davis Mills will be on another team next season.

The ambivalence of the phrasing could be accepted either way. Both avenues are steeped in truth.

It may not have been his intention, but it is easy to connect the dots and draw the conclusion.