Texans' RB Joe Mixon set to miss at least 4 games due to ankle injury

The Texans will be without Joe Mixon to start the season, as the veteran running back is headed to the reserve/non-football injury list and will miss at least the opening four games.

Mixon has been sidelined since camp kicked off, nursing a foot injury he picked up during the offseason while away from team facilities. With Tuesday's 53-man roster deadline looming, Houston confirmed Monday that the Pro Bowl back will be shifted from the active/NFI list to reserve/NFI.

Earlier in the day, head coach DeMeco Ryans kept things close to the vest, declining to provide a status update on his starting back.

Tough break for the Texans, as losing Joe Mixon puts a dent in their backfield plans, but it also opens the door for Nick Chubb to step into a major role in his first season with Houston.

There’s no clear timetable for Mixon's return, and with a bye coming in Week 6, the earliest we might see him back could be Week 7. The 29-year-old has been dealing with this injury well before camp kicked off and hasn't logged a single practice rep since. Despite an ADP around Round 6 on CBS Sports, that price always felt a bit steep given the risk; personally, he wasn’t on my board until the later rounds.

It's frustrating, too, because Mixon was terrific in his Texans debut campaign last year, showing he still had plenty left in the tank. The hope is that once he's fully healthy, he can pick up where he left off — though there's a real chance he ends up in a timeshare with Chubb, along with pieces like Dameon Pierce, rookie Woody Marks, or veteran depth option Dare Ogunbowale.

For now, Houston's ground game belongs to Chubb, who will carry the load as they adjust to life without Mixon.

With Joe Mixon sidelined, the Texans will turn to Nick Chubb, who’s gearing up for his debut campaign in Houston after carving out seven standout seasons as the workhorse back of the Cleveland Browns. They have also drafted Woody Marks out of USC during the third day of the 2025 NFL Draft.