The status of Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon remains up in the air as the team prepares to take on the Tennessee Titans in Week 4.
Mixon was a key cog in the Texans' offense last season, with the veteran running back tallying 1,016 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground and 309 receiving yards and one score through the air.
Unfortunately, Mixon has been sidelined since the offseason due to an foot injury and was placed on the non-football injury list to begin the season, meaning he would be out for at least the first four games of the 2025 season.
However, general manager Nick Caserio cast doubt on Mixon's status for the entire campaign after he was non-committal on Mixon playing at all this season.
"We'll see. We'll take it one day at a time," Caserio said last month. "We'll evaluate those players after four weeks and see where they are in their progression and then make a determination."
On Saturday, we finally got at least some semblance of an update on Mixon's status from Dianna Russini of The Athletic.
Joe Mixon injury update
Russini reports that the Texans should get more clarity on where Mixon stands in his recovery from injury by mid-October.
"Joe Mixon remains on the non-football injury list with a foot/ankle issue, but there should be clarity by mid-October," she wrote.
With Mixon absent, the Texans have leaned on veteran Nick Chubb as the primary back, with rookie Woody Marks mixing in. Houston has struggled to run the football, though, with the team ranking 23rd in rushing yards per game.
The offensive line has played a big part in the Texans' ground game struggles, though, with the unit ranking 21st in run block win rate, per ESPN.
Mixon's return would no doubt provide a boost for Houston, but that boost will be significantly limited if things upfront don't improve.
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