There has been speculation all year on the status of Texans starting running back Joe Mixon, as he had missed the entirety of the offseason and regular season thus far due to a mystery foot injury. Today, we finally have clarity on his viability to play in 2025. Unfortunately, it's not the kind of update that Texans fans wanted to hear:

According to NFL  Insider Ian Rapoport, Mixon is not projected to appear at all this season in a Texans uniform. This throws frigid water on the dreams of him possibly transforming the offensive fortunes of Houston for this year (and possibly beyond). 

The signs have been present throughout the campaign, with multiple awkward press conferences where general manager Nick Caserio and head coach Demeco Ryans went out of their way to not discuss Mixon's season with any kind of directness or concreteness. 

In place of Mixon, Houston went with free agent running back Nick Chubb and rookie rusher Woody Marks out of USC. Combined, they have formed a somewhat underwhelming tandem, ranking no higher than the low 20's in rushing yards per game and having a bottom five production rate in touchdowns. 

This not only puts to bed the chances of a return for this season, but also hurls into flux his long term future with the franchise.

2026 is his final season under contract for the Texans, after being acquired prior to the start of 2024's regular season. That will also be his 10th NFL season at the age of 30.

If the Texans decide to move on from Mixon, they would save roughly $8 million on the salary cap and could then reallocate those resources to either bringing in another free agent running back (Breece Hall?), grabbing a game changing offensive lineman or just drafting a young rusher in the upcoming draft. 

It certainly is a disappointing development for him and the franchise, considering his first and only season so far with the team saw him eclipse over 1,000 yards on the ground and 10+ touchdowns.

He helped to provide an attitude and charisma to the team that was not present before, and his presence on the sidelines will definitely be missed if this is indeed the end for him in Houston. 

Do you think this news is devastating for the Texans and their AFC playoff hopes for this season? Let us know in the comment section below or on the official Texans Roundtable X account (@Texans_RTB)!