Texans' Joe Mixon Reportedly Expected to Miss 'Extended' Time with Foot Injury

Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon's foot injury has his status for the start of the regular season up in the air.

Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Mixon is going to miss an "extended period of time" and will be reevaluated closer to the start of the regular season to determine his availability.

NFL insider Jordan Schultz added the Texans are holding Mixon out of training camp for "multiple weeks" with the hope he can be ready for Week 1.

Per NFL Network's Jane Slater, this is a new injury to Mixon's foot after he dealt with two separate issues in the foot/ankle area last season.

The Texans announced on Wednesday that Mixon was going to start training camp on the non-football injury list.

While the club didn't specify what the injury was, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reported the veteran running back had been wearing a walking boot earlier in the spring due to an ankle injury suffered during his offseason training program.

Wilson added that Mixon's "medical outlook is positive" as he was regaining mobility during his ramp-up workouts throughout the summer leading into camp.

Mixon has dealt with numerous foot and ankle injuries throughout his NFL career. He missed the final 10 games of the 2020 season due to a sprained right foot.

The two-time Pro Bowler sat out three games last season due to a high ankle sprain suffered while being tackled by Chicago Bears linebacker T.J. Edwards in Week 2. Head coach DeMeco Ryans said afterward he felt like the play was a hip-drop tackle by Edwards, even though the officials didn't throw a flag on him.

Mixon showed no lingering effects from the injury when he returned to the lineup in Week 6. He ran for more than 100 yards in each of his first four games back.

The Oklahoma alum finished the 2024 season with 1,016 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns in 14 games. It was his second consecutive year with at least 1,000 yards and fifth in eight NFL seasons.

Mixon is entering the second season of a three-year, $25.5 million deal with the Texans that was signed in March 2024 after he was acquired in a trade with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Houston's depth at running back is being tested early in camp. In addition to Mixon being on the NFI list, Dameon Pierce and J.J. Taylor are on the physically unable to perform list.

Nick Chubb, Dare Ogunbowale and Jawhar Jordan are the only healthy running backs for the Texans at this point.

The Texans will begin preseason play on Aug. 9 against the Minnesota Vikings. Their regular-season opener is against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium on Sept. 7.