After the defense largely carried them to the playoffs last season, the Houston Texans are making major changes on the offensive side, with running back Joe Mixon becoming the latest casualty.
Mixon did not play a single game during the 2025 season because of injuries and will now become a free agent when the new NFL league year begins on Wednesday.
Why Was Joe Mixon Released by the Texans?
Mixon was acquired by the Texans from the Cincinnati Bengals for a seventh-round pick and later signed a three-year, $27 million contract extension. So why did they let him go? One reason is that this move helps the Texans financially.
As Adam Schefter reported, the Texans released Mixon on Friday in a move that saves Houston about $8 million in salary cap space. The team entered the offseason over the cap and needed to create room ahead of free agency.
Mixon was impressive in his first season with the team, rushing for 1,016 yards and 11 touchdowns.
However, he suffered what general manager Nick Caserio described as a ‘freak’ foot injury during training camp away from the field. The injury sidelined him for the entire 2025 season, and the team provided few details about his recovery.
“Inevitable and the end of a bizarre year,” Texans reporter Landry Locker noted.
“A long expected move finally happening. What could have been for 2025 we will never know,” analyst Cody Stoots added.
“The most likely outcome once he missed the whole season,” wrote ESPN’s DJ Bien-Aime.
Another reason Houston released Mixon is their strong running back depth. The Texans traded for David Montgomery earlier this week.
Montgomery averaged 4.5 yards per carry last season and has great power, having scored 33 touchdowns in three seasons with the Detroit Lions. He will be the lead back in Houston.
“The Texans releasing RB Joe Mixon will save the team $8 million in cap space. This move has been anticipated in the aftermath of Houston’s trade for David Montgomery,” CBS Sports’ insider Jonathan Jones wrote.
While some wondered whether Mixon would be able to return to the field, NFL insider John Frascella reported that the veteran running back had actually requested his release.
“Another big-name running back on the market 👀,” noted Denver Broncos beat reporter Zac Stevens.
Mixon’s injury situation remains somewhat mysterious. Despite the setback, the 29-year-old remains a capable runner, ranking eighth in PFSN’s NFL RB Impact Metrics for the 2023 season.
Mixon has surpassed the 1,000-yard rushing mark in five of his eight NFL seasons and has also been a reliable receiver, posting more than 300 receiving yards in each of his last four healthy campaigns.
