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.