The status of Joe Mixon remains shrouded in uncertainty. The Houston Texans’ RB1 missed all of training camp with a foot injury and is currently on the NFI list. For fantasy football managers who drafted him, is Mixon any closer to a return than he was a week ago? What is the latest on the running back’s status?
Joe Mixon Injury Update
Mixon was placed on the reserve/non-football injury list and will miss at least the first four games of the regular season. The Texans officially announced this decision on August 24, ending any speculation about his early-season availability.
The injury occurred during the offseason while Mixon was working out away from the team facility. The specific details surrounding the incident remain private, but the injury is confirmed to be related to his foot and ankle. What initially appeared to be a minor issue has become more serious, keeping him sidelined for all of training camp and the entire preseason.
Texans general manager Nick Caserio was notably noncommittal when asked about Mixon’s availability for the entire 2025 season. “We’ll see. We’ll take it one day at a time,” Caserio said. “We’ll evaluate those players after four weeks and see where they are in their progression and then make a determination.”
This cautious approach has raised alarms among fantasy analysts and injury experts. Physical therapy specialist Jeff Mueller, who provides injury analysis for fantasy football, posted a concerning update on social media stating he had “received info from two different people” that led him to “fully remove Joe Mixon from my board for 2025.”
Joe Mixon cont –
Best info we have still doesn’t suggest that he had surgery➡️ aggravation of prior injury.
He had the Right high ankle/deltoid in September, Left ankle in December.Was spotted end of May with a brace on his left ankle.
Good info attached from Aaron Wilson.… https://t.co/pnxt72IOdN pic.twitter.com/L2vxJMzE8F— Jeff Mueller, PT, DPT (@jmthrivept) July 26, 2025
The earliest Mixon could potentially return would be Week 5 against the Baltimore Ravens on October 5. With a Week 6 bye, we can safely conclude there’s no way the team wouldn’t give Mixon those extra two weeks even if he is ready. Therefore, the absolute earliest we can see Mixon would be Week 7.
Through one week of the season, we are no closer to receiving an answer on Mixon’s status. Head coach DeMeco Ryans has declined to provide updates on Mixon’s progress, adding to the uncertainty surrounding his recovery timeline. The fact that Mixon hasn’t been seen working on a rehab field or participating in individual workouts suggests the star running back is nowhere near returning.
Friday update: On Friday, Ryans spoke to reporters about the Texans’ current backfield.
DeMeco Ryans used the past tense when discussing Joe Mixon yesterday, is this a clue about his status in 2025? pic.twitter.com/0UJT4oykIJ
— Jeremy Branham (@JeremyBranham) September 12, 2025
There were reactions like this to Ryans speaking about Mixon in the past tense. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean Mixon isn’t coming back this year. Ryans’ words can easily be interpreted as Mixon used to bring certain things to the team and he is looking forward to getting those things back when his RB1 can return.
At the same time, Jeremy Branham astutely pointed out the head coach’s exclusion of any timetable or expectation of return.
Also, I think the omission of any sort of “looking forward to getting him back,” is a clue too.
— Jeremy Branham (@JeremyBranham) September 12, 2025
It sure seems as though we may not see Mixon until 2026, if ever again.
Joe Mixon Fantasy Outlook
Mixon entered the 2025 season coming off an outstanding debut campaign with Houston. In his first year with the Texans, he rushed for 1,016 yards and 11 touchdowns on 245 carries while adding 36 catches for 309 yards and another score. He led the team in total touchdowns during the regular season (12) and playoffs (2), establishing himself as the offense’s backbone.
With Mixon sidelined indefinitely, the Texans have tried to fill his shoes with a hodgepodge of running backs. The backfield now features rookie Woody Marks, veteran journeyman Dare Ogunbowale, and the ghost of a once-great Nick Chubb.
The former Cleveland Brown is expected to continue handling the early-down work, but he has looked sluggish since returning from his own serious injury issues.
Chubb will eat as much volume as he can, having gone to four straight Pro Bowls from 2019-2022 before injuries derailed his career. However, no one on this roster threatens to steal Mixon’s job in the long term. When healthy, the 29-year-old remains the undisputed lead back in the Texans’ offense.
If Mixon can return and return healthy, he will get his complete job back in what should be a workhorse role under new offensive coordinator Nick Caley. The former Rams assistant coached a system that leaned heavily on running back Kyren Williams in 2024, suggesting Mixon could see significant usage upon his return.
Fantasy managers who drafted Mixon don’t have to burn a roster spot as he remains IR eligible, but will have to sit on him for an indeterminate amount of time. The uncertainty surrounding his injury makes him a massive risk despite the potential league-winning upside if he returns healthy. It is still possible, if not likely, that he doesn’t play in 2025.
