The Houston Texans made a move on Monday that suggests running back Joe Mixon is facing an extended spell on the sidelines.
The Texans moved Mixon from the Active/Non-Football Injury list to the Reserve/Non-Football injury list, the team confirmed Monday. As a result, Mixon will not be able to practice or play until after the fourth game of the season.
The move is likely to raise new questions about the nature of Mixon’s injury. The running back suffered a right foot injury during the offseason while away from the team, and was not a participant in training camp. The injury is to the same foot that troubled him for a large part of the 2024 campaign.
Mixon was originally placed on the non-football injury list in July, meaning the running back did not suffer the injury while participating in football-related activities. The Texans have not publicly divulged any further information about what is plaguing Mixon.
There were certainly other hints that Mixon’s injury was a cause for concern, including the June signing of veteran Nick Chubb. He is likely in line for more work, as are Dameon Pierce and possibly even fourth-round rookie Woody Marks.
Mixon did play in 14 games for the Texans last season, even though he was playing hurt for a good portion of the season. He still managed to rush for 1,016 yards and 11 touchdowns. He was also limited during Houston’s two playoff games, but still added two touchdowns anyway.
