NEWYou can now listen to PK Press Club articles!
After rushing for 1,016 yards and earning Pro Bowl honors for the second time in his career in 2024, Joe Mixon landed on the non-football injury list before the 2025 kickoff. His roster designation did not change throughout the regular season or playoffs.
Houston Texans general manager Nick Caserio addressed Mixon’s status for the 2026 season on Wednesday, saying the running back continues to work through a “freak” foot injury.
“We haven’t seen Joe in a while, so I think at some point we’ll see him again and then we can assess where he is and, based on the information, we’ll see where his status is,” Caserio said.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON PK Press Club
Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon (28) is shown with the ball during the first quarter Thursday, October 31, 2024, in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Kevin R. Wexler-NorthJersey.com/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
During training camp last year, the Texans announced that Mixon suffered a foot injury outside the facility during the offseason. The team has remained largely mum on the details of the running back’s recovery throughout the season.
Caserio gave a partial explanation Wednesday, without revealing the injury.
PATRIOTES RETURN TO AFC CHAMPIONSHIP AFTER FORCING 5 TEXANS TURNOVERS IN HEAVY WINTER MIX
“It wasn’t like he was driving a snowmobile or anything like that,” Caserio said. “It was more of a health issue or a situation that never really got better, maybe as much as everyone would have hoped. I’m not trying to evade the question, that’s the reality of the situation. He didn’t jump off a building. He wasn’t diving off a cliff or anything. He wasn’t doing anything irresponsible. It was just a weird thing.”
Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon (28) scores a touchdown during the third quarter of an NFL football game on December 1, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida. (Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union)
The Texans reached the divisional round of the NFL playoffs for a third straight season, but five turnovers against the New England Patriots ultimately ended Houston’s hopes of advancing to the AFC Championship.
The Texans’ offense took a notable hit with Mixon out all season because of the injury. Mixon has one year remaining on a three-year, $27 million contract extension he signed after joining the Texans after seven years with the Cincinnati Bengals.
Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon (28) runs for a touchdown in front of Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs (7) during the first quarter at AT&T Stadium. (Kevin Jairaj/Imagn Images)
Caserio said they were unsure of his status throughout the season, but remained hopeful he could return at some point.
“It was a very unique situation,” he said. “I don’t think anyone has really had any clarity, honestly, from the beginning of the year until now. I would say Joe worked very, very hard trying to get ready to play football, but it never showed up and never came to fruition. So he’ll probably have a chance to see where he is in the offseason versus next year.”
With Mixon out this season, the Texans have leaned on rookie Woody Marks and veteran running back Nick Chubb. Marks, a fourth-round pick, led the team with 703 rushing yards and Chubb added 506 yards.
When asked specifically if they thought Mixon’s condition would improve enough for him to be ready for the start of training camp, Caserio said it was too early to tell.
“We’ll see. Trust me, I’m not smart enough to be a doctor, so I’ll leave that to the medical experts,” he said. “Once we get a little more clarity, more information, we’ll kind of see where we are.”
