Mixon (ankle) wasn't spotted at Wednesday's practice, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Per Wilson, Mixon is day-to-day with his ankle injury, and top backup Dameon Pierce is dealing with a mild hamstring strain. The two backs' statuses are thus worth monitoring closely as Sunday's game against the Vikings approaches. Cam Akers, Dare Ogunbowale and British Brooks are in the mix to see added work this weekend if either Mixon or Pierce are out.
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Texans' Joe Mixon: Injury not long-term issue
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Mixon's ankle injury is not considered to be a long-term issue, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Mixon was able to return to Sunday's 19-13 win over the Bears after getting injured early in the third quarter, but he played just seven snaps after his return. The running back underwent an MRI on Monday, and head coach DeMeco Ryans was non-committal on Mixon's status for Week 3 in Minnesota. The Texans feel that the tackle that injured Mixon was illegal and are submitting video of the play to the NFL for review. If Mixon is unavailable for Week 3, Cam Akers and Dameon Pierce (hamstring) would be the most likely beneficiaries.
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Texans' Joe Mixon: Set to get ankle evaluated
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Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans said after Sunday's 19-13 win over the Bears that Mixon will have his injured ankle evaluated, DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN.com reports. "Joe got rolled up. The guy's weight definitely came down on his ankle," Ryans said. "We'll evaluate Joe throughout the week. Hopefully he's OK."
Mixon is slated to undergo an MRI on Monday, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. He picked up the injury with 11:57 left in the third quarter, when he was brought down by the Bears' T.J. Edwards with what appeared to be the now-banned swivel hip-drop tackle. Though Mixon was able to check back into the game, he played just seven snaps the rest of the night and finished with 25 yards on nine carries, plus 25 yards on three receptions. The running back took to social media after the game to criticize the NFL and NFLPA for not penalizing the hip-drop tackle, but he didn't shed any light on whether the ankle injury would jeopardize his status for Week 3 at Minnesota. If he's ruled out for next Sunday's game or is limited, Cam Akers and/or Dameon Pierce (hamstring) could take on extra carries, while Dare Ogunbowale may serve as the main replacement for Mixon on passing downs.
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Texans' Joe Mixon: Battles through ankle injury in win
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Mixon rushed nine times for 25 yards and caught three of five targets for 25 yards in Sunday's 19-13 win over the Bears.
Mixon missed a chunk of the second half after getting his ankle caught underneath a defender on a tackle, and while he got back into the game, he wasn't on the field for Houston's last couple drives as the Texans were trying to run out the clock. After racking up 33 touches in Week 1, Mixon was limited to just 12 against the Bears. The former Bengals running back sits firmly atop the depth chart in Houston, especially after Cam Akers lost a fumble by the goal line in the second half, but it wouldn't be surprising if Mixon's practice reps are capped heading into a Week 3 matchup with the Vikings as he deals with the aftereffects of his ankle injury.
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Texans' Joe Mixon: Back in against Bears
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Mixon (ankle) has returned to Sunday's game against the Bears, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Mixon missed less than a quarter after hurting his ankle in the second half of Sunday night's game. He'll return to the lead role in Houston's backfield for the remainder of the game barring a setback.
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Texans' Joe Mixon: Goes to locker room with injury
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Mixon (ankle) went to the locker room in the third quarter of Sunday's game against the Bears, Ben Arthur of Fox Sports reports. He is questionable to return.
Mixon injured his ankle when it got caught underneath a defender. After a brief visit to the medical tent, he made his way to the locker room for further examination. Prior to the injury, Mixon rushed seven times for 20 yards and caught three of five targets for 25 yards. Dameon Pierce (hamstring) isn't dressed against the Bears, leaving Cam Akers and Dare Ogunbowale as the two available options at running back in Mixon's absence.
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Texans' Joe Mixon: Huge Houston debut
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Mixon carried the ball 30 times for 159 yards and a touchdown and caught all three of his targets for 19 yards in Sunday's 29-27 win over the Colts.
The former Bengal put together a sensational Texans debut, highlighted by a three-yard TD plunge early in the fourth quarter. There was no question that Mixon was the bell cow for Houston -- Dameon Pierce, the top holdover in the backfield from 2023, saw only three totes. Mixon will take significant momentum into Week 2's clash with a Bears defense that gave up 94 scrimmage yards and a TD to the Titans' Tony Pollard in its season opener.
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Texans' Joe Mixon: No physical limitations Week 1
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Mixon is fully healthy heading into Sunday's season opener against the Colts after being held out of preseason action due to a quadricep injury, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Mixon didn't have any limitations in joint practices near the end of training camp and won't have a cap on his workload in his Texans debut Week 1. The 28-year-old running back exceeded 1,000 rushing yards in four of his seven seasons with the Bengals, and Mixon is projected to lead a Houston backfield that also includes Dameon Pierce, Dare Ogunbowale, Cam Akers and British Brooks.
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Texans' Joe Mixon: Not slated to play Saturday
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Mixon is among the Texans' key players not in line to see action in Saturday's preseason finale against the Rams, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Per Wilson, the same applies to QB C.J. Stroud, RBs Dameon Pierce and Dare Ogunbowale as well as WRs Stefon Diggs, Nico Collins, Tank Dell, Robert Woods. Come Week 1, Mixon is slated to lead the Texans' backfield against the Colts.
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Texans' Joe Mixon: No limitations in practice
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Mixon is taking part in team drills Wednesday, Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Head coach DeMeco Ryans changed his mind last week after suggesting Mixon would play in this past Saturday's preseason win over the Giants, but the Texans were seemingly exercising caution with the running back. Mixon returned to practice Aug. 11 after missing the first two and a half weeks of training camp with a quadricep injury and has seemingly steered clear of any setbacks. Meanwhile, backup running back Dameon Pierce has done nothing to alleviate concerns about his fit in a zone-blocking scheme, taking eight carries for nine yards in two preseason games.
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Texans' Joe Mixon: Not in uniform
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Mixon isn't in uniform for Saturday's preseason game against the Giants, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
It sounds like coach DeMeco Ryans had a change of heart after saying Thursday that Mixon would play. Mixon missed the first two and a half weeks of training camp with a quad injury, but he returned to practice last weekend and still has three weeks to prepare for the start of the regular season. His absence Saturday leaves Dameon Pierce as the probable starter at RB.
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Texans' Joe Mixon: Expected to play Saturday
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Coach DeMeco Ryans said Thursday that the Texans' starters, including Mixon, will play in Saturday's preseason contest against the Giants, Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Mixon is over the hamstring injury that caused him to miss the Texans' first two exhibition contests, but he returned to practice last weekend and is ready to play a few snaps. It will be Mixon's first action since he was acquired from the Bengals back in March.
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Texans' Joe Mixon: Back at practice
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Mixon (quad) was an active participant at the Texans' practice Sunday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Mixon has been sidelined with a quadriceps injury for the last couple weeks, but he now appears to have moved past the injury. The running back was forced to miss Houston's preseason opener versus the Steelers on Friday, and it's unclear if he'll make an appearance at any point prior to the team's first game of the regular season on Sunday, Sept. 8 against the Colts. Mixon is entering his first campaign with the Texans and all set to be their primary option out of the backfield in 2024.
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Texans' Joe Mixon: Preseason debut on hold
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Mixon (quad) is not in line to play in Friday's preseason game against the Steelers, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
On the plus side, the report notes that Mixon is close to a return to action, but the Texans have no reason to rush the running back into exhibition play, with two more preseason contests on tap after Friday. In the meantime, reserves like Dare Ogunbowale, Jawhar Jordan, Cam Akers, J.J. Taylor and British Brooks should continue to receive opportunities to state their cases for slotting behind Mixon and Dameon Pierce.
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Texans' Joe Mixon: Making progress in recovery
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Mixon is making steady progress in his recovery from a minor quadricep injury, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Mixon has been dealing with a soft-tissue injury early in training camp and he's already been ruled out for the preseason opener Thursday versus the Bears. The running back is on track to resume practicing at some point during the preseason as he ramps up his activity ahead of his first season with the Texans. Mixon should get the lion's share of the workload out of Houston's backfield, setting him up for another productive fantasy campaign in 2024.
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Texans' Joe Mixon: Not playing Thursday
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Mixon (hamstring) will not play in Thursday's Hall of Fame Game against the Bears, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 Houston reports.
Even had Mixon not been dealing with a hamstring injury, it's unlikely he would have played Thursday. The Texans are expected to give Dameon Pierce and Jawhar Jordan extensive action in the backfield.
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Texans' Joe Mixon: Misses practice again
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Mixon (hamstring) didn't practice Monday, Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Mixon was healthy at the start of training camp but has now missed more than a week of practice, allowing Dameon Pierce to get regular work with the first-team offense. There are still questions about Pierce's fit in a zone-blocking scheme after he struggled mightily last season, potentially setting up Mixon for workloads that rival (or even surpass) what he typically handled in Cincinnati. That said, a summer hamstring injury is far from ideal, even if the Texans mostly have downplayed it to this point.
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Texans' Joe Mixon: Missing practice
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Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said Monday that Mixon (undisclosed) will not practice and could miss a few days but "will be fine," Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Mixon hasn't practiced the last two days, per DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN.com, but it doesn't appear that he's facing a long absence. It remains undisclosed whether Mixon is dealing with an illness or injury, or whether his absence is of a personal nature, but in the meantime Dameon Pierce figures to handle the bulk of the first-team reps, while Dare Ogunbowale, Jawhar Jordan and new backfield addition Cam Akers (Achilles) also could benefit from increased opportunities.
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Texans' Joe Mixon: Anticipates heavy workload
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Mixon said Friday that he's spending training camp preparing to handle a large workload, which he expects will go hand in hand with his role in the Texans' offense, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Mixon said he's trained harder this offseason than ever before in his career, per Will Kunkel of Fox 26 Houston, and that he anticipates being near the top of the league in carries this season. While playing all 17 regular-season games for Cincinnati in 2023, Mixon ranked fifth in the league with 257 rush attempts, though his 1,034 rushing yards only ranked No. 8 and he also finished a meager 27th in YPC with a 4.0 average. Mixon did add a 52-376-3 receiving line on 64 targets and boasts a true three-down skill set, but with three star wideouts at the helm of Houston's offense, plus a capable receiving TE in Dalton Schultz, he'll likely have difficulty repeating those target numbers. Unless Mixon can manage to improve his efficiency heading into his age-28 season, he'll indeed likely need to rank close to the top five in carries to truly impress for fantasy purposes. On the plus side, he's well positioned to accomplish that in Houston, as 2022 fourth-rounder Dameon Pierce only profiles as a true backup option, and C.J. Stroud could help this team rank atop the NFL in total scoring opportunities with an improved offense surrounding him in Year 2.
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Texans' Joe Mixon: Gets extension from Houston
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Mixon has signed a three-year contract extension with the Texans, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Per Schefter, Mixon's reported deal with Houston -- which runs through 2026, according to Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle -- is for $27 million and includes $13 million guaranteed. The Bengals sent the 27-year-old to the Texans in exchange for a 2024 seventh-rounder, setting the stage for Mixon to take over as the lead back in his new locale, replacing Devin Singletary, who signed on with the Giants in free agency. Also in the mix for carries for Houston will be 2022 fourth-rounder Dameon Pierce, but the team's decision to extend Mixon clearly demonstrates confidence in the 2017 second-rounder, a context that should allow him to maintain steady weekly volume in 2024.
