Houston, you have a backup running back….
There are few transactions in Houston Texans history that have made a curmudgeon like me giggle. A short, silly, and gleeful laugh emitted from my soul. Adding four-time Pro Bowl running back Nick Chubb to the Houston Texans offense is a savvy and exhilarating decision.
The excitement can be felt throughout Houston, but the addition will illicit a different emotion in the running back room at NRG Stadium. Each current RB on the Houston Texans’ roster will feel the Texas summer heat from this acquisition. We will break down how Nick Chubb impacts each running back and the sentiment associated with each player.
NFL teams on average keep three, sometimes four running backs on a 53-man roster so keep that in mind when reviewing this analysis.
Joe Mixon
Post-Signing Sentiment: growing concern for injury
If the Texans were fully confident in Joe Mixon’s health heading into 2024, I do not think they still pull this move off. Mixon was seen in a walking boot during voluntary summer workouts stemming from an offseason surgery.
I’m starting to get concerned about Joe Mixon.
High-ankle sprain in 2024 – missed 3 games
Recently spotted in a walking boot after having an offseason foot/ankle/leg (?) surgery. There’s been no details released yet.
The Texans have recently been linked to multiple RBs working…
— Jesse Morse, M.D. (@DrJesseMorse) June 8, 2025
The Texans overused Mixon in their first season with him and paid the price. Assuming he’s fully healthy, Mixon will still see a reduced workload with Chubb on the roster—even after topping 1,000 rushing yards in 2024.
I imagine both he and Mixon will by vying for starting reps throughout training camp. The last time Nick Chubb wasn’t the starter, he was a sophomore running back in high school.
Dare Ogumbowale
Post-Chubb Signing Sentiment: holding out hope against impending doom
Dare Ogumbowale is that girl you just can’t quit. He’s that unfinished chocolate cake calling your name in your freezer. Dare has been the understudy’s understudy in Houston for three seasons now primarily in pass blocking duties and has been cast off by fans each of those three seasons.
His true strength has been his availability; Ogumbowale was the only healthy RB or TE for all 17 games. That counts. The ninth-year running back may be more impacted by the change in offensive coordinator than Nick Chubb’s attendance in Houston, but the added competition can’t be good for Ogumbowale.
And who knows… he once again was brought back on a one-year contract and will be in Deep Steel Blue until someone knocks him off his spot on the depth chart.
Woody Marks
Post-Chubb Signing Sentiment: lack of confidence
If the Texans felt confident in their rookie, why would they go out of their way to risk $5M on Chubb?
The rookie can’t be enjoying the added competition in an already crowded running back room. Marks’ hope is that Chubb and Pierce are duplicative in their roles on the offense and the Texans honor their commitment to the rookie. Marks is a unique talent on the roster and deserves to develop on the team.
He needs to endure the short term chaos to receive long-term benefits. Between Pierce’s ticking clock, Mixon’s injury, Dare’s age and usefulness, and Chubb’s short-term lease, Marks path to a legitimate role is to stay alive in year one.
History isn’t on Marks side as multiple young running backs have “waited their turn” only to be turned away.
Dameon Pierce
Post-Chubb Signing Sentiment: an unlikely death knell
If you scrolled through this article for any one player, I imagine it was for Dameon Pierce.
The NFL is not going to wait on any one player to figure it out… unless their name is Aaron Rogers. Pierce’s descent from his fantastic rookie season has been steep, and the team isn’t holding out any hope (or a roster spot) any longer.
The reason? Chubb absorbs Pierce’s role as a hard-nosed, downhill running back capable of taking the dirty work away from Mixon. With the added context that Houston selected Woody Marks in the draft as a receiving-focused RB, Pierce’s role and fit have been diminished.
The one fact keeping Pierce in play: Houston kept FIVE running backs on the 53-man roster last season.
The Initial 53-Man Roster pic.twitter.com/wzVehxjtyG
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) August 27, 2024
If that holds true or even the Texans keep four, Pierce is in a dead heat with Ogumbowale for the last remaining running back spot on the roster.
Jawhar Jordan
Post-Chubb Signing Sentiment: will never get a shot
The hits keep on coming for the second-year running back from Louisville. Jordan never left the practice squad for the Texans in 2024. The selection of Woody Marks and the addition of Chubb buries him in a mountain of competition for snaps. Being the sixth of anything on an NFL roster doesn’t bode well… especially if it is for a running back. It’s a shame Houston won’t give Jordan a shot beyond the practice squad.