One of the biggest mysteries for the Houston Texans in 2025 has been running back Joe Mixon’s injury to start the season. Everyone in the organization has remained quiet on his status as the 29-year-old remains sidelined.
Mixon has been dealing with a foot injury, one that has kept him out of action since the AFC Divisional Playoff game on January 18 last season.
Looking at Houston Texans RB Joe Mixon’s Mysterious Injury And Timetable to Return
Back in July, the Texans placed Mixon on the non-football injury list. No one knows the extent of his injury, or exactly what it is, other than the fact that it’s a foot injury. Obviously, no matter how severe, the last thing a running back wants to deal with is a bad foot.
Having missed the first four games of the season, many wondered how long it would take for the Texans to activate him. So far, there’s been crickets. Texans fans and fantasy football managers are itching for an update, but all that can be done is pull up old quotes that shed a little insight into the injury.
“We’ll see,” Texans GM Nick Caserio said back in August. “We’ll take it one day at a time. We’ll evaluate those players after four weeks and see where they are in their progression and then make a determination.”
Texans’ beat writer, Aaron Wilson, recently provided a cryptic update on whether or not Mixon will play in 2025: “Texans coach DeMeco Ryans specifically indicated that Joe Mixon is not ready to return at this time. Per sources, it will be much longer, if at all, for Mixon to get back on the field this season.”
Without Mixon, the Texans are off to a 1-3 start. QB CJ Stroud has struggled, though he seemed to get back on track in Week 4 as they picked up their third shutout win in franchise history.
Week 5 NFL Injury Report: Latest Updates on Bucky Irving, Lamar Jackson, Joe Mixon, and Others
After running through the Tennessee Titans, 26-0, the Texans now have a +13 point differential despite sitting at 1-3. Currently, they are 28th in PFSN’s Offense Impact metric with a D grade.
24-year-old RB Woody Marks is poised to be RB1 moving forward. The team’s 2025 No. 116 overall pick has 29 carries for 113 yards. His 3.9 yards per carry average is just below that of RB Nick Chubb, who leads the team with 47 carries for 188 yards.
Chubb is averaging 4.0 yards per carry, though both he and Marks have one rushing touchdown. Marks is also third on the team with six receptions for 96 yards.
While the Texans wait to see if Mixon will be back, they will face the Ravens in Baltimore on Sunday at noon ET. The Ravens will be without star quarterback Lamar Jackson, who is dealing with a minor injury. The game will be televised on certain CBS stations.
