Mixon's mysterious injury and cryptic Instagram post fuel speculation about his future with the Texans. Will he return to Houston in 2026?
The Houston Texans had a successful season in 2025, advancing to the postseason for the third consecutive year. However, some fans could view the year as a disappointment as progress wasn't really seen with the team losing in the Divisional round of the playoffs once again.
Things started off shaky for the Texans in 2025, as the team began 0-3 and started the year without its running back, Joe Mixon. The story surrounding the running back has been weird all year long. The only thing that is known is that he suffered a leg injury, and that injury kept him out for the entire year. It was speculated that he would return at some point, but that clearly never came to pass. General Manager Nick Caserio spoke about the back during his end of the year press conference where he shared that Mixon wasn't injured doing anything "crazy", and that it was just a bizarre accident.
Mixon is now 29 years old, and he has to be motivated and driven to get back on the field. He should return in 2026, although Woody Marks didn't do a horrible job replacing him on the year. Mixon sent a message to fans on Instagram as he posted to his story after the Conference Championship games.
The picture shows Mixon holding the Lamar Hunt Trophy after the Cincinnati Bengals won the AFC at the end of the 2021 season. Cincinnati went on to lose the Super Bowl to the Los Angeles Rams, but it is still a career highlight for Mixon. He wants to get back to that point in 2026, which is certainly a possibility for this Texans team.
Mixon will play in 2026, but it is hard to say whether it will be in Houston. The running back is under contract for the season, but he could be released as the organization would only be charged a $2 million dead cap hit while saving $16 million. The Texans would likely struggle to find a trade partner to take on that contract, so the two options are going to be Mixon being released or him somehow staying on the roster.
The veteran running back had a good year with Houston in 2024, running for over 1,000 yards and scoring 12 total touchdowns. He can still be productive, but it is hard to say that going into 2026 without knowing what kind of injury he had to his leg. If Houston feels comfortable that he can bounce back and be productive, he could play a significant role in the offense.