All eyes are on NRG Stadium as the Houston Texans get set to take on the Buffalo Bills in Week 12. What everyone’s really talking about, though, isn’t the matchup itself, but what’s happening off the field.
Can the Texans keep their season alive without their star back? Or has the injury bug finally derailed Houston’s playoff hopes?
What Does Joe Mixon’s Season-Ending Injury Mean for the Houston Texans?
According to Ian Rapoport, Joe Mixon’s recovery from his preseason foot injury has hit a significant roadblock. That has left him out for the rest of the NFL season. Mixon will remain on the PUP list, which includes potential playoff games. This marks his longest absence since he entered the league in 2017.
Sources: #Texans RB Joe Mixon is not expected to play this season as he deals with a foot injury from the offseason.
Mixon likely remains on the Physically Unable to Perform list through the season. Meanwhile, Houston moves forward with Nick Chubb and Woody Marks. pic.twitter.com/gr7E4QSIEO
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 20, 2025
Mixon played last year for Houston after seven years with the Cincinnati Bengals. He signed a three-year, £25.5 million contract extension with the Texans before ever taking a snap for the new club. It didn’t take him long to make a mark, either. In his first year for Houston, the running back rushed for 1,016 yards on 245 carries and scored 11 touchdowns.
After Mixon topped the 1,000-yard mark for the second year in a row and the fifth time in his career, he made the Pro Bowl. That set some big expectations for 2025. No one thought a preseason foot injury could end up derailing Houston’s backfield this much.
With one of their top playmakers out since the beginning of the 2025 campaign, Houston has turned to Nick Chubb and rookie Woody Marks at running back. Chubb has 419 yards and two touchdowns so far, while Marks has added 348 yards and two scores. Still, the Texans have just 1,076 rushing yards as a team, putting them near the bottom of the league.
Meanwhile, this situation raises new questions about Mixon’s durability, considering he previously missed games in 2020 and last year.
Now, with no chance for Mixon to return as the regular season winds down, the Texans have an even tougher path to the playoffs. They’re looking up at the Jacksonville Jaguars (6-4) and Indianapolis Colts (8-2) in the division standings. The road to the AFC South crown looks a lot longer for Houston right now.
Things get even trickier for Houston, considering they currently sit 25th in the PFSN’s Offense Impact rankings with a C- grade. Their next two games aren’t exactly giving fans comfort, either. Back-to-back weeks against the Colts (November 30) and the Kansas City Chiefs (December 7) have the fan base holding its breath.
On top of all that, injuries to quarterback C.J. Stroud and wideout Tank Dell keep making the Texans’ job harder. Stround will miss his third straight game after entering concussion protocol, and Dell is still working to return from a bad knee injury.
