Joe Mixon

It remains uncertain if Joe Mixon will ever take an NFL field again. As Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston writes, the running back’s NFL future still “lacks definitive clarity.” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans acknowledged as much during his season-ending press conference, admitting that he doesn’t “know that answer right now” when asked about Mixon’s status for the 2026 campaign.

The veteran running back ended up missing the entire 2025 season thanks to a “complicated” foot and ankle injury. While Mixon denied midseason reports that he wouldn’t suit up during the 2025 campaign, that ended up coming to fruition.

The former Bengals standout was traded to the Texans ahead of the 2024 season, and he quickly signed a three-year, $27MM extension. He had a productive first season with his new squad, finishing with 1,325 yards from scrimmage and 12 touchdowns in 14 games. Mixon suffered a foot injury while working out in the offseason, and while the veteran sought several outside remedies, he never made enough progress to return to game action. The Texans remained relatively quiet about his status throughout the 2025 season, with Wilson noting that they were honoring the player’s wish for privacy.

“When you have your best players, you’re going to be a better team,” Ryans said (via Wilson). “Joe, he’s a really great running back for us and not having him, yes, of course, it affected our running game. Joe is one of the top running backs in this league. That affected us.”

Since Mixon spent the 2025 season on the non-football injury, the Texans weren’t obligated to pay his $7MM salary. It’s uncertain if the franchise ended up paying out that money. While the RB still has a year remaining on his contract, he’s only due a non-guaranteed $8MM in 2026. As Wilson notes, the Texans are expected to cut him loose this offseason.

The team signed Nick Chubb to replace Mixon in the lineup, although the former Pro Bowler was limited to only 573 offensive yards. Chubb is set to hit free agency this offseason, where he’ll be joined by fellow Texans RB Dare Ogunbowale. That would effectively leave fourth-round rookie Woody Marks as the only healthy RB on the roster entering the offseason.

NOVEMBER 22: When speaking on the situation earlier this week, Caserio said during an appearance on the Payne & Pendergrast radio show that there is still no firm timeline for Mixon’s return. In the ongoing absence of any clarity in this case, it remains to be seen if Mixon will be able to suit up at any point down the stretch.

NOVEMBER 20: Following news from earlier today that Joe Mixon was set to miss the entire 2025 campaign, the running back and his agent are pushing back. Shortly after NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Mixon’s foot injury would prevent him from seeing the field this season, the veteran tweeted at the reporter.

[RELATED: Texans RB Joe Mixon Not Expected To Play In 2025]

“Now, I get everyone’s looking for splash news & clickbait… but I’m just curious, Ian how do you know more about me than me?” Mixon asked.

Mixon’s agent, Peter Schaffer, was also quick to comment on the reports, cryptically tweeting that “[t]he truth and what comes out of his mouth is mere coincidence.”

This is a somewhat intriguing turn in this sudden saga, and as Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com, it leads to questions about who leaked information about Mixon’s injury status in the first place. As Florio notes, Texans GM Nick Caserio comes from the Patriots personnel department and runs a Belichickian, no-leak operation.

While the Texans wouldn’t have much incentive to lie about Mixon’s status, they could have some financial incentive to sit him for the entire 2025 season. As Florio notes, the Texans don’t have to pay the player’s $7MM salary since Mixon is sitting on the non-football injury list (although it’s important to note that the team can pay Mixon if they want, and there haven’t been any reports about how the team’s proceeding in this regard). Mixon also has $500K worth of per-game roster bonuses.

Mixon suffered a foot injury while working out in the offseason, and there haven’t been many reports about his progress up until today. Since we’re already in the second half of the season and the team has settled on a Nick Chubb/Woody Marks tandem, it’s not a particularly hot take to proclaim that Mixon won’t have a role on the 2025 iteration of the Texans. Perhaps the definitive nature of Rapoport’s report is what drew the ire of Mixon, and we won’t truly know whose narrative is correct until the end of the regular season.

The Texans offense seemed to find its footing against the lowly Titans in Week 4. While the unit appears to be trending upwards, they’ll still have to move forward without an offensive focal point for the foreseeable future.

While speaking with reporters, coach DeMeco Ryans said that star running back Joe Mixon is not ready to return (per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston). The veteran continues to sit on the reserve/NFI list with a foot/ankle injury, although he’s now eligible to be activated.

Sources seemed to paint a bleaker picture. According to Wilson, it will be “much longer” for a potential Mixon return, and there’s some skepticism that the running back will even be able to play this season. This matches a report from late August that indicated that Mixon may ultimately have to sit out the entire 2025 campaign.

Mixon dealt with a lingering foot/ankle issue during the 2024 campaign that forced him to miss three games. He aggravated the issue while training this offseason. Considering the player’s age and the installation of Nick Caley‘s new offense, the Texans have continually made it clear that they’d slow play Mixon’s rehab. Now, it’s sounding like the team may not have a choice but to rely on their other RBs in 2025.

Mixon continued his high-level play after getting dealt from the Bengals to the Texans during the 2024 offseason. The two-time Pro Bowler finished the campaign with 1,325 yards from scrimmage and 12 touchdowns. Two years remain on Mixon’s contract, but none of his $8MM base salary for 2026 is guaranteed. If the player is unable to return in 2025, there’s a chance the team bails on the veteran this offseason.

Veteran Nick Chubb has led the depth chart through the first four weeks of the season, but the offseason acquisition has only managed to compile 188 yards on 47 carries. Rookie fourth-round pick Woody Marks had a breakout showing this past weekend, collecting 119 yards from scrimmage and a pair of scores. That game represented the first time this season that Marks has outsnapped Chubb, and there’s a chance the rookie may be eyeing an even larger role as the season progresses.

The Texans have endured a winless start to the season. A key reason for the team’s struggles is a lack of success on the ground.

Houston entered Sunday’s action sitting 23rd in the league in rushing yards. With a number of new offensive linemen in place and a shorthanded RB room, that development has come as little surprise. Joe Mixon – who handled a heavy workload in 2024 for the Texans and would be doing the same now if healthy – resides on the reserve/NFI list with a foot/ankle injury.

During roster cutdowns, general manager Nick Caserio indicated it was unclear if Mixon would be able to play at all in 2025. Like any other player on the NFI list at this point, the two-time Pro Bowler can be activated no earlier than Week 5. It certainly seems as though Mixon will remain sidelined past that point, but an update in this case could be coming shortly. Dianna Russini of The Athletic writes (subscription required) clarity on Mixon’s outlook is expected to emerge in mid-October.

Finding out more about Mixon’s outlook for this season would be welcomed by all involved. The 29-year-old served as a workhorse last season, his debut campaign for the Texans (245 carries). That produced the fifth 1,000-yard season of his career along with 12 total touchdowns. Expectations were high for a strong follow-up this year, but Mixon suffered the injury this summer and missed all of training camp while rehabbing.

A lengthy ramp-up period will thus be necessary even if Mixon is cleared to return at some point in 2025. The longtime Bengal is under contract through next year, but none of his $8MM base salary for 2026 is guaranteed, Much of Mixon’s financial future will depend on his health status as a result, so an update of any kind will be worth watching for during the midway mark of the campaign.

In the meantime, Houston will proceed with a backfield featuring free agent addition Nick Chubb along with the likes of Dameon Pierce and Dare Ogunbowale. That unit could receive a boost late in the campaign, depending on what transpires in Mixon’s case.

Joe Mixon will be unavailable to the Texans until at least Week 5, but his absence could stretch beyond that point. General manager Nick Caserio did not offer a firm answer on Wednesday when asked if the Pro Bowl back will play at all in 2025.

“We’ll see. We’ll take it one day at a time,” Caserio said (via ESPN’s DJ Bien-Aime). “We’ll evaluate those players after four weeks and see where they are in their progression and then make a determination.”

Mixon finds himself on the reserve/NFI list, which ensures he will miss the first month of the campaign. A lingering foot/ankle injury has proven to be challenging with respect to a smooth recovery process, and today’s comments are certainly a sign the 29-year-old will be unavailable past the point where he could first return to practice. Houston’s ground games figures to be uncertain with Mixon not in the fold.

The former Bengal enjoyed a strong debut Texans campaign in 2024, topping topping 1,000 rushing yards for the fifth time and scoring 12 total touchdowns (tied for the second most of his career). Another large workload was set to be in store for Mixon in 2025 after he logged 245 carries last season. Now, his outlook for the coming campaign may not include any game action.

Free agent signing Nick Chubb is in position to handle a starting workload until Mixon is healthy. The former Browns star was unable to regain his previous form upon returning to action in 2024, though, so questions loom about his ability to serve as an effective lead back at this point in his career. The Texans also have returnees Dameon Pierce and Dare Ogunbowale in the fold, along with fourth-round rookie Woody Marks.

Two years remain on Mixon’s contract, but none of his $8MM base salary for 2026 is guaranteed. His financial future will thus depend in large part on his ability to return to action at some point this season, something which would be welcomed by a Texans team looking to emerge as a true AFC contender. Mixon’s progress in recovery over the coming weeks will be a key storyline for the team.