The Houston Texans made a run to the Divisional Round despite not having running back Joe Mixon on the field. Now, the reasoning behind Mixon’s absence has become a bit more clear.
The running back remained out with what was classified as a foot injury for the entire season. However, Mixon’s situation is a bit more bizarre than the usual injury, via Jonathan M Alexander of the Houston Chronicle.
“He didn’t jump off of a building,” general manager Nick Caserio said. “He wasn’t doing anything irresponsible. It was a freak thing.”
While Caserio’s statement doesn’t fully reveal what Mixon was dealing with, it at least shows that the situation was out of both the player and team’s hands. Both sides needed to remain cautious as Mixon dealt with a serious ailment.
The running back’s foot will continue to be monitored throughout the offseason. He had an entire year to work his way back, but Mixon’s injury has kept him on the sidelines long-term. How he recovers from the “freak” injury will determine the running back’s 2026 status.
Whether or not that comes with the Texans is yet to be seen. He is under team control through the 2026 season. However, Houston can release Mixon while taking on just $2 million in dead cap, via Spotrac. After seeing the emergence of Woody Marks in 2025, the Texans could continue to ride that wave moving forward.
Houston will be evaluating all aspects of their roster as they look to go even further in 2026. It isn’t Mixon’s fault that his injury eliminated his 2025 season. But there’s a chance it could end his Texans tenure as well.
The post Texans RB Joe Mixon’s ‘freak’ medical condition kept him off field in 2025 appeared first on ClutchPoints.
