It’s been a brutal start to the season for the Houston Texans. The offense, which struggled last year, has come to almost a complete halt this season. While quite a lot of the blame has fallen on the offensive line, things might potentially go from bad to worse for the unit.
A huge reason for whatever little success the offense had last year was the excellent year Joe Mixon put together from the backfield. Unfortunately, there is a possibility that his 2025 campaign is already over before it even gets underway.
Could Joe Mixon Miss the 2025 Season Entirely?
Tallying 1,016 yards and 11 touchdowns, Mixon was one of the few bright spots on an otherwise thoroughly disappointing offensive unit. As a result, it felt like a certainty that he would continue to factor into the Texans’ plans this season.
However, those plans never materialized. A somewhat mysterious foot/ankle injury sustained in the offseason, which has yet to be fully disclosed to the public, led Houston to place him on the PUP list before the start of the season.
Mixon is eligible to come off the PUP list this week as the Texans square off against the Baltimore Ravens. However, Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans told reporters that Mixon is not ready to play, according to reporter Aaron Wilson.
Wilson adds that his sources tell him “it will be much longer, if at all, for Mixon to get back on the field this season.” This lines up with recent comments from Ryans and Texans general manager Nick Caserio that suggest he may not play at all this season. Recently, Caserio was asked if Mixon would suit up at all during the 2025 NFL season, and he was noncommittal.
“We’ll see. We’ll take it one day at a time,” Caserio said, according to ESPN. “We’ll evaluate those players after four weeks and see where they are in their progression and then make a determination.”
Also, a quote from head coach DeMeco Ryans in the press conference caught everyone’s attention: “We miss Joe, miss his energy and enthusiasm and everything he brought to our team. We continue to press forward and hope he’s doing well.”
The use of the past tense was clearly noticeable to whoever was listening in, and it has led to a growing concern amongst the fan base. Their superstar running back, without whom the offense ranks as the third-worst unit on PFSN’s Offense Impact, might be done for the season as a whole.
With Mixon out, Nick Chubb started the season as the Texans’ leading rusher, but now it’s looking like rookie Woody Marks is taking over RB1 duties. In the Texans’ win over the Titans in Week 4, Marks had a breakout game with 17 carries for 69 yards and a touchdown, plus four receptions for 50 yards and another score. Dameon Pierce has surprisingly been a healthy inactive even with Mixon sidelined.
The Texans are going to need all the help they can get if they want to make a run for a playoff spot after starting 1-3, and Mixon could help them… if he’s able to play.
Fantasy Outlook for Mixon
Mixon battled an ankle injury throughout the summer, and considering he has missed three games in two of the past three seasons, not to mention that he has north of 2,100 NFL touches, he will be tough to trust in any capacity in the short term.
The 29-year-old has averaged more than 4.1 yards per catch just once in his career, making him more of a volume-based fantasy asset than one that can hit your lineup with limited work. With over 1,200 scrimmage yards in four straight seasons, Mixon stands to be a weekly option, but you’re playing the long game.
Houston goes on bye in Week 6 and has some difficult matchups sprinkled in its schedule over the first two months. But if we get a bellcow version of Mixon as winter nears, he could be a popular name on rosters playing for fantasy glory (Weeks 15-16, home games against the Cardinals and Raiders).
That said, if you’re burning a valuable roster spot on Mixon, I’d be comfortable moving on.
