Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon finds himself in a precarious situation as the 2025 NFL season approaches, with a lingering foot injury. The veteran back, who delivered an impressive debut campaign with Houston in 2024, has been absent from training camp practices due to what the team describes as a “non-football” foot/ankle injury.
This mysterious ailment has left fans and fantasy football managers scrambling for answers as the regular season draws near, and the lack of transparency surrounding Mixon’s condition has only intensified speculation about the true severity of his injury. Now, the Texans just provided a major update about his availability.
What Is Joe Mixon’s Injury?
Mixon has not practiced in camp due to a lingering non-football foot injury, and the Texans just announced that he’s being placed on the Reserve/Non-Football Injury List, meaning he must miss the first four games of the regular season.
Nick Chubb figures to be the early down replacement, but he has looked sluggish, and rookie Woody Marks could see more touches with Mixon’s absence extending into the regular season.
For fantasy football enthusiasts, Mixon’s uncertain status presents a significant dilemma that could derail draft strategies and early-season lineups. After rushing for over 1,000 yards and recording 11 touchdowns in his stellar Texans debut, Mixon was positioned as a reliable RB1 option heading into 2025.
However, with him missing the first four weeks and his return timeline unknown, he has transformed him from a fantasy asset into a potential liability. With backup options like Chubb, the rookie Marks, and Dameon Pierce waiting in the wings, the Houston backfield has become one of the most unpredictable situations in fantasy football.
DeMeco Ryans continues to be cryptic on Mixon’s status as well. The vibes remain very, very bad.
HC Ryans declined to update Joe Mixon’s status as he deals with an ankle injury.
— Underdog NFL (@UnderdogNFL) August 25, 2025
Mixon’s Fantasy Football Outlook
Mixon is entering his ninth season in the NFL. The Cincinnati Bengals originally drafted him in the second round in 2017 out of Oklahoma. He had four 1,000+ yard rushing seasons with Cincy. He’s gotten two Pro Bowl nods, in 2021 and 2024.
The 2024 season was his first year with the Texans, rushing for 1,016 yards and 11 touchdowns while adding 309 receiving yards. The problem, though, is that Mixon is dealing with a foot and ankle injury. His return timetable is completely unclear right now and he’ll miss at least the first four weeks, making it hard to take him in fantasy football leagues.
There’s a legit chance that the Texans are keeping this under wraps and that it’s even more serious than they’re letting on.
The best bet to make in this backfield right now is to throw some darts to Chubb, Marks, or Pierce. My preferred target is Chubb because he has a proven track record.
Perhaps for Chubb, a year further removed from his torn ACL will allow him to find his form. Considering these circumstances, I recommend completely avoiding Mixon right now. Don’t buy the dip in this scenario.
