Joe Mixon Suspended for the First Four Games of the Season
Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon will not be activated from the non-football injury list before the Tuesday 4 p.m. ET deadline. This means he will be unable to play at least the first four games of the season due to an ankle injury.
Mixon, who is suffering from an ankle injury, will be moved to the reserve/non-football injury list before Tuesday’s deadline.
In 2024, 29-year-old Mixon ran for 1,016 yards and 11 touchdowns, earning him Pro Bowl honors in his first season with the Texans.
The team took steps to compensate for Mixon’s possible absence this offseason, signing running back Nick Chubb, a four-time Pro Bowler, after his seven years with the Cleveland Browns, and selecting Woody Marks from USC in the fourth round of April’s NFL draft.
Mixon’s absence during the season seemed likely since he began training camp on the active/non-football related list. He also did not participate in voluntary workouts (OTAs) or minicamp with the team. The last time he participated without restrictions in something related to a game or practice with the presence of the media was in the divisional round playoff game in Houston against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Mixon could return in Week 5, when the Texans face the Baltimore Ravens that Sunday. Meanwhile, in addition to Chubb and Marks, the other options to replace Mixon are running backs Dameon Pierce, who started training camp on the physically unable to perform list but was eventually activated, and Dare Ogunbowale.
So far, Chubb has been the lead back for Houston’s starting offense, with Pierce and Ogunbowale also seeing some action.
The Texans start the season away against the Los Angeles Rams.
