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Texans RB Joe Mixon is expected to miss "an extended period of time with a frustrating foot injury," according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Mixon has been dealing with an injury for much of the offseason, but it was previously reported as a right ankle. It's unclear if this is a separate injury, or if the initial reporting was bad. Regardless, it sounds like Mixon will miss all of training camp, and "there's a chance" he won't available for Week 1, per Rapoport. Mixon "will be re-evaluated closer to the season to determine his availability," Rapoport adds.
Insider Jordan Schultz has a slightly more optimistic report: "Mixon will miss multiple weeks of training camp with the hopes of being able to return for Week 1. Houston will be cautious with their star running back."
It doesn't sound like there's a firm timetable for Mixon's return. But this is a bad look for a 29-year-old RB with a lengthy injury history.
Even when Mixon does get back on the field, he'll carry multiple risk factors:
Mixon is taking a significant fall down our RB rankings. We'll see where his ADP goes from here.
RBs Nick Chubb, Woody Marks, and Dameon Pierce are behind Mixon on the depth chart. Chubb has already been working as the lead back in training camp and would project as the best fantasy bet if Mixon misses time.
That said, Chubb is 29 now and has suffered serious season-ending injuries in two straight years -- a multi-ligament knee injury in 2023 and a broken left foot last year. He mustered just 3.3 yards per carry across his eight games last season. Chubb could rebound some in 2025, another year removed from the knee injury. But this is no longer an elite runner.
Chubb would also likely cede some (or even most) of the passing-down work to Marks. The fourth-round rookie posted mediocre rushing numbers across five college seasons, but he totaled a whopping 261 receptions.
We'll keep an eye on this Mixon-less backfield over the next month, but neither Chubb nor Marks is a particularly exciting fantasy pick unless Mixon misses significant regular-season time.
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