The Houston Texans remain in a holding pattern with starting running back and Pro Bowler Joe Mixon, who has been sidelined since the offseason with a foot injury, but they are rapidly approaching a key date, as a new report highlights.
Mixon was placed on the Reserve/Non-Football Injury (NFI) list before the regular season began, and he remains without a clear timeline for his possible return to the field.
They should have further clarity soon enough.
‘Clarity’ on Joe Mixon Injury Coming Soon: Report
The Texans are 0-3 heading into a matchup against the also-winless Tennessee Titans in week 4. But they are approaching a critical Date with mixing, as the Athletic’s Diana Russini pointed out in a new report.
What it means for Mixon’s future, however, remains unclear.
“Joe Mixon remains on the non-football injury list with a foot/ankle issue,” Russini wrote on September 27. “There should be clarity by mid-October.”
When one fan took to the line, which was part of a report on what ails quarterback C.J. Stroud and the Texans in general, the Houston Chronicle’s Jonathan M. Alexander noted that the timeline fits with Mixon’s status on the Reserve/NFI list.
“That’s around the time he’s eligible to come off the PUP list,” Alexander told the fan on X.
Technically, Mixon is eligible to return from the NFI list as soon as Week 5 against the Baltimore Ravens on October 5.
However, with a bye the following week, the Texans could exercise caution with Mixon, whom they hoped to feature again this offseason. Instead, the Texans remain without the veteran playmaker for at least one more week.
Joe Mixon’s Absence Looms Large for Texans
GettyJoe Mixon #28 of the Houston Texans warms up before a game against the Baltimore Ravens.
Mixon is in his second season with the Texans, who acquired him from the Cincinnati Bengals in a trade during the 2024 offseason.
He rushed for 1,016 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2024. But his absence has left the Texans relying on former Cleveland Browns star Nick Chubb as well as recent draft pick Dameon Pierce and Woody Marks.
Amid the Texans’ slow start, Mixon’s absence looms even larger.
The coaching staff and front office have offered little in the form of an update. Meanwhile, the Texans rank 29th in rushing yards this season. Their runners, including Stroud, have averaged 4.4 yards per carry.
Mixon, who has dealt with injury issues in the past, also has one more season on his two-year, $19.7 million contract with the Texans.
That makes his return to the field that much more imperative for both sides.
Texans Left Facing Uncertainty at RB
GettyJoe Mixon #28 of the Houston Texans takes the field before a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
If the Texans planned on extending Mixon, they would surely want to see him perform in new offensive coordinator Nick Caley’s system, and ensure that he is healthy enough to be rewarded with another contract.
Likewise, Mixon will surely want to see his fit in Caley’s system, which has failed to launch over the first three weeks of the season.
The Texans rank 32nd in scoring offense and 29th overall.
Whenever Mixon returns, he will be a welcome addition in the backfield with his explosiveness, physicality, and the versatility to make a significant impact in both the pass and run game for the Texans.
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