NEWNow you can listen to Pak Gazette articles!
After rushing for 1,016 yards and earning Pro Bowl honors for the second time in his career in 2024, Joe Mixon landed on the non-football injured list before 2025 began. His roster designation did not change during the regular season or postseason.
On Wednesday, Houston Texans general manager Nick Caserio addressed Mixon’s status for the 2026 season, saying the running back continues to work through a “freak” foot injury.
“We haven’t seen Joe in a while, so I think at some point we’ll see him and then we’ll be able to assess where he is and then based on the information we’ll see where his status is,” Caserio said.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON PakGazette.Com
Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon (28) is shown with the ball during the first quarter, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024, in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Kevin R. Wexler-NorthJersey.com/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
During training camp last year, the Texans announced that Mixon suffered a foot injury outside of the facility during the offseason. The team was silent on the details of the running back’s recovery throughout the season.
Caserio gave a partial explanation Wednesday, without revealing the injury.
PATRIOTS RETURN TO AFC CHAMPIONSHIP AFTER FORCING 5 TEXANS LOSSES IN HEAVY WINTER MIX
“It wasn’t like I was riding a snowmobile or anything like that,” Caserio said. “It was more of a medical condition or situation that never… really didn’t get better maybe as much as everyone would have hoped. I’m not trying to evade the question, that’s the reality of the situation. He didn’t jump off a building. He wasn’t jumping off a cliff or anything like that. He wasn’t doing anything irresponsible. It was just a strange thing.”
Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon (28) scores a touchdown during the third quarter of an NFL football game on December 1, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida. (Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union)
The Texans reached the divisional round of the NFL playoffs for the third consecutive season, but five turnovers against the New England Patriots ultimately ended Houston’s hopes of advancing to the AFC Championship.
Texans’ offense took a notable hit with Mixon out for the season due to the injury. Mixon has one year remaining on a three-year, $27 million contract extension he signed after joining the Texans following seven years with the Cincinnati Bengals.
Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon (28) runs for a touchdown past Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs (7) during the first quarter at AT&T Stadium. (Kevin Jairaj/Image Images)
Caserio said they were unsure of his status during the season, but were hopeful he would be able to return at some point.
“It was a very unique situation,” he said. “Honestly, I don’t think anyone has had any clarity, from the beginning of the year until now. I would say Joe worked very, very hard to try to prepare to play football, it just never manifested itself, came to fruition. So I’ll probably get a chance to see where he is in the offseason relative to next year.”
With Mixon out this season, the Texans relied on rookie Woody Marks and veteran running back Nick Chubb. Marks, a fourth-round pick, led the team with 703 rushing yards and Chubb added 506 yards.
When asked specifically if they think Mixon’s condition will improve enough for him to be ready for the start of training camp, Caserio said it’s too early to tell.
“We’ll see. Believe me, I’m not smart enough to be a doctor, so I’ll leave that to the medical experts,” he said. “Once we have a little more clarity, more information, we’ll see where we are.”
