With injured starter Joe Mixon uncertain to play in 2025, the Texans have interest in acquiring a running back before the Nov. 4 trade deadline, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com reports.
Mixon, acquired from the Bengals in March 2024, was one of the Texans’ top offensive weapons during an AFC South-winning campaign last year. He earned his second Pro Bowl nod after rushing for 1,016 yards and 11 touchdowns on 245 carries over 14 games. Mixon also added 36 catches for 309 yards and another score.
The Texans have taken steps backward during a 2-4 start this season, and they’ve gotten nothing from Mixon. The 29-year-old remains on the reserve/NFI list with a foot/ankle injury. There’s still no word on whether he’ll play this season. Regardless, the Texans could move on from Mixon in the offseason. Although they signed him to a three-year, $27MM extension after trading for him, none of his $8MM base salary for 2026 is guaranteed.
The Texans are months away from deciding Mixon’s future. In the meantime, they’ll look to improve a ground game that ranks a below-average 18th in yards per game (106.2).
Quarterback C.J. Stroud easily leads the team in yards per carry (7.3), though he has only totaled 20 attempts. Running back Nick Chubb has averaged a respectable 4.2 per tote and added two touchdowns on a team-high 63 carries. However, after an injury-riddled last couple of years in Cleveland, Chubb isn’t the workhorse he once was. The 29-year-old hasn’t totaled more than 13 attempts in a game this season. He ran just five times for 16 yards in a loss to the Seahawks in Week 7.
Rookie fourth-rounder Woody Marks joined Chubb in struggling in Seattle. The Seahawks held him to 15 yards on 10 tries, though he did pick up a receiving touchdown. Marks has scored three TDs (one on the ground), but he has posted a meager 3.3 YPC on 46 attempts.
As for other in-house options, Dameon Pierce has fallen out of favor since a 939-yard rushing season as a rookie in 2022. The Texans have made him a healthy inactive four times this year, including in Seattle. He has recorded just 10 carries in 2025, while Dare Ogunbowale and British Brooks have combined for four.
With just under two weeks left until the deadline, no RB has come up in trade rumors more than the Jets’ Breece Hall. The pending free agent ranks 12th in the league in carries (99) and 13th in yards (448). He could be on the Texans’ radar.
As is the case with Hall, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Browns’ Jerome Ford head elsewhere soon. The former Chubb backfield mate has taken on a diminished role this season with the emergence of rookie Quinshon Judkins. It would make sense for the Browns to move Ford for the best offer.
Graziano points to the Dolphins’ Jaylen Wright as another potential deadline acquisition. After rushing for 249 yards on 68 attempts as a rookie in 2024, Wright has played in just one game and hasn’t gotten a carry this year. Wright has fallen behind rookie backup Ollie Gordon on the depth chart, which could lead him out of Miami and perhaps to Houston before the deadline.
The loss of Mixon really hurt that offense. They can’t run the ball which hurts the passing game. Defense is keeping them in games.
Said same thing. BreeceHall would help imo.
I doubt they would want to pay the price tag for him if it’s a 4th round pick. Jaylen Wright can’t cost more than a 6th round pick at this point. Would rather take a flier on him than someone like Ford.
A running back won’t change the fact that any half decent defensive front can dog walk their offensive line.
But still could use a run game
Having a decent blocking scheme is more important to improving a run game than the difference between a B running back and a B+ running back.
It actually might be be what they need.
Their pass blocking has been decent (63.1 grade, 14th best in the NFL).
Their run blocking has been abysmal (56.8 grade, 27th best in the NFL).
Like the article stated, Chubb is averaging a respectable 4.2 YPC but isnt the workhose he once was. And they need improvement over Marks 3.3 YPC.
Marks has all of 46 NFL rushing attempts since they traded up for him.
And if he was averaging more they’d probably not be in the market for a 3 down back. But here they are with Chubb potentially on a limit in terms of how many carries they feel comfortable giving him and no real compliment to him.
Watched their last game and their run game scheme seems terrible. Defenders were constantly already passed the line of scrimmage by the time Chubb/Marks got the handoff.
Either they need better run blocking schemes or they need to get better TE’s that can do a better job of chip/release.
And honestly, that OL is pretty porous. Even with pass blocking being ranked 14th? The eye/smell test seems to say they are worse.
Can I interest you in Ray Davis for Jaylin Noel?
Breece Hall?
Ray Davis?
Kenneth Gainwell?
Kareem hunt?
Except for Hall, all of those guys are on teams headed for the playoffs. Not sure they would trade one of their backs. Maybe someone like Jerome Ford, Raheem Mostert, or Devin Singletary.
Mostert isn’t bad tho I doubt he’d change much
It’s not like 2025 Kareem Hunt is either.
Agree
Good luck finding a RB that can give you the kind of ball security that Joe Mixon provides.
You might pry Big Tony Richardson from the Colts for 2 cases of sunflower seeds and some used jock straps. I know he’s not a running back, but he’s not a quarterback either.
What about the RB wasting away as RB3 in PHI?
Tank Bigsby should be cheap
You want to replace Mixon with a guy who fumbles every 39 touches? Yikes!
Would really be replacing Mixon if he’s been in Witness Protection all season?
Breece would be cool, him CJ Tank as their offensive core moving forward and their defence is going solid. Just need more protection for the QB and they’d be a real threat
I know of one that’s under the radar, and probably wouldn’t cost much trade wise. Isaac Guerendo is so far in the doghouse in San Francisco, they’ve even taken him off of special teams. He looked good as a rookie, but then Jordan Mason pretty much dwarfed him, and Mason got traded for next to nothing.
AJ Dillon could be a nice addition.
They need to let Chubb eat. How do they know he can’t handle more work if they don’t even try. I highly doubt he keeps requesting to come out of the game. I was stunned last game when the Texans were at the goal line and didn’t even put Chubb in.
What is the point of a new RB when we know the real issues are the offensive line and play calls? Breece might be the exception but any of the other available RB are not going to make a difference outside of depth.
Does Chubb’s contract have some kind of incentive that pays him a bonus for Attempts or Yards?
He does actually! I just checked and he has incentives for % of playing time and for yardage levels.
Devin Singletary could be had cheap.