It's been 282 days and counting since Joe Mixon logged a carry for the Houston Texans, and while it's not as if Mixon is the caliber of player that bonafide stars such as Saquon Barkley, Jonathan Taylor, Christian McCaffrey or Derrick Henry are, Mixon provided the Texans with stability and reliability last year, logging 1,210 yards in 16 regular season and postseason games during the 2024 season.
Unfortunately, eight weeks have passed by during the 2025 campaign, and Mixon's health remains one of the great mysteries around the league. We know he's dealing with a foot and/or ankle injury. We know he's been receiving treatment. And we know that thus far this treatment hasn't gotten Mixon any closer to returning to the field this season.
The last update that anyone within the Texans organization provided on Mixon's health was back on October 7th, when general manager Nick Caserio said, "Probably over the next few weeks, we'll probably have a better idea," when asked about the running back's progress. Three weeks have since passed by, and we know just as much now as we did then.
As if that weren't a bad enough sign, in the midst of answering questions regarding his team's dominant win over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday afternoon, Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans was asked a question about whether he had any update on Joe Mixon's status. Although it was as brief of a response as you could get, Ryans' three-word reply all but confirms Mixon might end up having to miss the entire 2025 season.
"I do not," Ryans said bluntly, seemingly confirming the worst fears of Texans fans.
Texans cobbling together league average rushing attack without Joe Mixon
Even with Mixon in the picture, the Texans were only a league-average rushing team in 2024. They ranked 15th in rushing yards AND yards per carry last year, but again, that's the Joe Mixon experience in a nutshell. Although his ceiling may be limited, there's a well-established floor that ensures any team Mixon suits up for is going to be middle of the pack in the run game.
But even without Mixon, Houston is still hovering right around the same range at the halfway point of the 2025 season. Through seven games, the Texans rank 17th in rushing yards and 19th in yards per rush, only a moderate dip compared to last year. But when things are going well -- when the Texans have a positive game script and can play with the lead -- the rushing attack has been more than just mediocre. In their three wins, the Texans have rushed for an average of 151 yards per game
Credit for staying afloat be given to a Texans offensive line that hasn't been perfect, but has certainly been better than last season, in addition to a two-headed attack in the backfield. Veteran Nick Chubb and rookie Woody Marks have provided the Texans with a backfield by committee approach that has been serviceable at the very least.
Thus far this season, Chubb has led the way with 80 carries, 321 yards and 2 touchdowns, all which lead the Houston offense. Marks has established himself as a nice change of pace back and a factor in the passing game, accumulating 379 yards of total offense in his first seven career games. Additionally, although he hasn't been a factor in the running game in his first two seasons, CJ Stroud is currently on pace to double his previous single-season high in rushing yards.