That’s not all that the Houston Texans are doing to get ready for the new NFL season. They’re not sure what to expect from Pro Bowl running back Joe Mixon. In March 2024, the Texans traded a seventh-round draft pick to the Cincinnati Bengals to acquire Mixon. Playing all 36 games in his debut season, he made an immediate impact. He totaled 1,016 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns, leading the team in regular-season and postseason scoring.
Mixon’s performance earned him Pro Bowl honors, highlighting his importance to the Texans’ offense. He still rushed for 194 yards in two playoff games. This performance placed Kaepernick fourth in rushing yards per game for that time frame. During the regular season, he ranked ninth during the regular season with 72.6 rushing yds/g.
Mixon’s future is uncertain at this point. Ankle injury continued to keep him out through OTAs, minicamp and now training camp. The Texans finalised their 53-man roster last week. Additionally, they moved Mixon to the reserve/non-football injury list, sidelining him for at least the first few weeks of the regular season.
General Manager Nick Caserio has given no indication to the contrary or what Mixon’s future looks like for the 2025 season. He admitted that he is trying not to get overly optimistic in talking about the running back’s possible return.
“We’ll see. We’ll take it one day at a time.” – Nick Caserio
Caserio outlined that the organization plans to evaluate player progress after the first four weeks of the season before making any determinations about Mixon’s return.
The Texans are doing the right thing by addressing this issue proactively. In June, they then reinforced their rushing attack by signing the experienced Nick Chubb to a one-year deal. Chubb should be in line for a huge workload with Mixon out. Dameon Pierce, Dare Ogunbowale and rookie fourth-round pick Woody Marks will take care of the rushing load. They play their own unique skills to the game.
The Texans now head into a Week 5 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens. Given the unexpected nature of Mixon’s recovery, there’s hope that he could be back in time for this one.
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