After a standout career with the Cincinnati Bengals, Joe Mixon’s arrival in Houston was highly anticipated as the Texans wanted to take the next step forward and build around C.J. Stroud. Mixon delivered last season, but the team around him ultimately faltered.
Entering the 2025 season with high hopes, the Texans needed Mixon to replicate the dominant play that earned him a second career Pro-Bowl selection last year. Instead, the offense has spent the entire summer without its star running back. With the regular season just around the corner, what is the latest on his mysterious injury status?
What Is the Latest on Joe Mixon’s Injury?
How did Mixon get hurt? Nobody outside the organization seems to know for sure. The star running back suffered a non-football-related injury during the offseason, which sidelined him for all of the team’s training camp and preseason.
While the specific details surrounding the incident remain private, the injury is confirmed to be related to Mixon’s ankle. The Texans recently announced that Mixon will remain on the Non-Football Injury (NFI) list to start the year, meaning he must miss at least the first four games of the regular season. Then, Houston has a bye in Week 6, so it’s possible that the earliest Mixon plays this season is in Week 7 against the Seattle Seahawks.
However, there is a growing concern that Mixon may miss all or most of the 2025 NFL season. When Texans general manager Nick Caserio was asked if Mixon would suit up at all during the 2025 NFL season, 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.”
Jeff Mueller, a doctor of physical therapy and fantasy football injury analyst, recently sounded alarms about Mixon’s status: “I have received info from two different people. That info has been enough for me to fully remove Joe Mixon from my board for 2025.”
In Mixon’s absence, the Texans’ running back duties will fall on the trio of Nick Chubb, Dameon Pierce, and rookie Woody Marks. It will be interesting to see how head coach DeMeco Ryans utilizes that combination to keep the offense humming until Mixon can return.
Last season, Mixon thrived and became the backbone of the offense, finishing the year with 1,016 yards and 11 touchdowns while adding 309 receiving yards and a score through the air.
When Mixon does return, it will mark his first full-speed work since last winter. That layoff adds an extra layer of concern for a 29-year-old running back whose role is built on rhythm and short-area quickness.
After two games in the 2025 NFL season, Chubb is the leading rusher for the Texans in Mixon’s absence. He has rushed for 103 yards and one touchdown on 25 carries, averaging 4.1 yards per carry.
Houston’s run game has been underwhelming in Mixon’s absence, and if the veteran running back misses the entire season, it will be tough for the Texans to make the playoffs.
Fantasy Impact of Mixon’s Injury
Mixon headed into the 2025 offseason as the undisputed lead back in the Texans’ offense. The former Cincinnati Bengals star quietly tied Josh Jacobs in fantasy points per game (17.2) last season, but finished 11 spots lower at RB17.
Ankle injuries saw Mixon miss three games and limited him in three more. Wildly, from Weeks 1-15, before he played through his second injury, Mixon was the RB2 overall in fantasy points per game (20.2).
Unfortunately, injury has struck again for the star running back, ruling him out for at least the first four games of the season. Mixon should still be the team’s RB1 when he returns, but there are no guarantees around when that will be.
Outgoing offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik was replaced by Nick Caley, who joins Houston from a Los Angeles Rams team that leaned heavily on RB Kyren Williams in 2024. Workhorse usage is rare in today’s NFL, but Mixon could have a huge role if he can get himself back on the field.
Mixon is a massive risk in fantasy football, but if you drafted him, your best bet is to hold him for now. Assuming he can return sooner rather than later, he’s a worthwhile stash with league-winning potential.
