Entering Week 3 of the 2025 season, the status of Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon remains uncertain.
Mixon missed all of the offseason due to an unspecified foot injury and stayed on the non-football injury list on cutdown day, which means he will miss at least the first four games of the campaign.
But there is some concern that Mixon, who was the Texans' leading rusher in 2024, will be out longer than that.
Here's what we know about the five-time 1,000-yard rusher.
Will Joe Mixon play in 2025?
The answer to this question remains unclear.
The last update we received on Mixon came in August from general manager Nick Caserio, who had this response to a question about Mixon's ability to play at all in 2025:
"We'll see. We'll take it one day at a time," he said, per ESPN's DJ Bien-Aime. "We'll evaluate those players after four weeks and see where they are in their progression and then make a determination."
Caserio's response immediately set off alarm bells about Mixon's status for the rest of this season. It has yet to be confirmed when he will return, but there has been nothing to indicate he'll be ready to go once his minimum NFI stay is up.
Why it matters
Mixon was a key cog in the Texans' offense last season as the team's leading rusher with 1,016 yards in 14 games.
Mixon is also a top-flight pass-catcher, as evidenced by his 36 catches for 309 yards last season. Both of those figures ranked fourth on the Texans.
With the Texans having putrid pass protection, quarterback C.J. Stroud not having a safety valve like Mixon in the short passing game really hurts.
Fantasy football impact of Mixon's absence
With Mixon out, veteran Nick Chubb has served as the clear lead back in Houston, tallying 25 carries for 103 yards and one touchdown while adding two receptions and 29 receiving yards. No other back has more than six carries.
Keep an eye on rookie Woody Marks, though, as he's Chubb's handcuff and is coming off a career-best game in Week 2 in which he totaled three carries for 14 yards and one catch for 37 yards.
Chubb has a lengthy injury history and Marks could step in as the starter if the veteran gets hurt and misses time.
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