Joe Mixon’s arrival in Houston last offseason was highly anticipated, as the Texans wanted to take the next step forward and build a contender around C.J. Stroud. Mixon delivered for the Texans, but the team around him ultimately faltered.
Entering the 2025 NFL season with high hopes, the Texans were hoping Mixon could replicate the dominant play that earned him his second career Pro-Bowl selection last year. However, the star running back has been sidelined all offseason with a mysterious injury. With the regular season just around the corner, what is the latest on his injury status?
What Is the Latest on Joe Mixon’s Injury?
How did Mixon get hurt? Nobody outside the organization seems to know for sure. The star running back suffered a non-football-related injury during the offseason, which sidelined him for all of the team’s training camp and preseason.
While the exact details of the incident remain private, it has been confirmed that Mixon’s injury is ankle-related. The Texans announced that he will stay on the Non-Football Injury (NFI) list to open the season, forcing him to miss at least the first four games. With Houston’s bye coming in Week 6, the earliest Mixon could return would be Week 7 against the Seattle Seahawks.
However, there is a growing concern that Mixon may miss all or most of the 2025 NFL season. When Texans general manager Nick Caserio was asked if Mixon would suit up at all during the 2025 NFL season, he was noncommittal.
“We’ll see. We’ll take it one day at a time,” Caserio said, according to ESPN. “We’ll evaluate those players after four weeks and see where they are in their progression and then make a determination.”
This lines up with a recent post from Jeff Mueller, a doctor of physical therapy and fantasy football injury analyst, who sounded alarms about Mixon’s status.
“I have received info from two different people. That info has been enough for me to fully remove Joe Mixon from my board for 2025,” he said.
In Mixon’s absence, the running back duties will fall on the trio of Nick Chubb, Dameon Pierce, and rookie Woody Marks. It will be interesting to see how head coach DeMeco Ryans utilizes that combination to keep the offense humming.
Earlier this month, Ryans made some comments about Mixon, which hinted that the running back might not ever play again for the Texans. “We’re rolling with the guys that are here. That’s the main thing,” Ryans explained. “We miss Joe, miss his energy, and his enthusiasm and everything he brought to our team,” the Texans HC said. “We continue to press forward and hope he’s doing well.”
Last season, Mixon thrived and became the backbone of the offense, finishing the year with 1,016 yards and 11 touchdowns while adding 309 receiving yards and a score through the air.
When Mixon does return, it will mark his first full-speed work since last winter. That layoff adds an extra layer of concern for a 29-year-old running back whose role is built on rhythm and short-area quickness.
After two games in the 2025 NFL season, Chubb is the leading rusher for the Texans in Mixon’s absence. He has rushed for 103 yards and one touchdown on 25 carries, averaging 4.1 yards per carry.
Houston’s run game has been underwhelming in Mixon’s absence, and if the veteran running back misses the entire season, it will be tough for the Texans to make the playoffs.
Mixon’s Fantasy Outlook
Mixon battled an ankle injury throughout the summer, and his track record doesn’t inspire confidence. The veteran back has missed three games in two of the past three seasons, not to mention that he’s carrying north of 2,100 NFL touches on his body. That makes him challenging to trust in any capacity for the short term.
The situation worsened on Aug. 25 when Houston announced that their starting back had been transferred to the Reserve/Non-Football Injury List. That ruling eliminates him from consideration for at least the first four games of the 2024-25 season.
The 29-year-old presents additional concerns beyond just health. Mixon has averaged more than 4.1 yards per catch just once in his career, making him more of a volume-based fantasy asset than someone who can impact your lineup with limited work.
However, his consistency tells a different story. With over 1,200 scrimmage yards in four straight seasons, Mixon stands to be a weekly option once healthy, but you’re playing the long game.
The schedule adds another wrinkle to consider. Houston goes on bye in Week 6 and faces some difficult matchups sprinkled throughout their schedule over the first two months. But if we get a bellcow version of Mixon as winter approaches, he could become a popular name on rosters playing for fantasy glory. Those Week 15-16 home games against the Cardinals and Raiders look particularly appealing for championship runs.
