Joe Mixon was integral to the Houston Texans win over the Los Angeles Chargers in the Wild Card Round. The veteran running back carried the ball 25 times for 106 yards and a touchdown.
He also aggravated an ankle injury that has bothered him for a while. That led to him being a limited participant in practice throughout the week, putting his status for the Divisional Round game against the Kansas City Chiefs in jeopardy.
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Houston will need Mixon if they'e going to pull off the upset. When they played against one another in Week 16, Mixon had 57 yards on 14 attempts. The Texans were playing from behind, so they got away from the ground game but they have to stick with it Saturday to keep Patrick Mahomes on the sideline as much as possible.
Will Joe Mixon play for Texans on Saturday?
The Texans got some good news though ahead of the game. According to Ian Rapoport, Mixon will suit up for their showdown with the defending champions.
#Texans Pro Bowl RB Joe Mixon, limited this week with an ankle injury, will play today, sources say. LB Azeez Al-Shaair, limited with a knee, also will play against the #Chiefs. pic.twitter.com/8F1gjZCVs3
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 18, 2025
As much as Mixon will mean to the offense, Houston will also lean heavily on C.J. Stroud. The second-year quarterback shook off a poor start last week to put together an impressive outing.
The 2023 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year is going to feel the pressure of squaring off against Mahomes. He could also face a lot of pressure from a daunting Kasas City pass rush. Having Mixon to take some of that pressure from him will be huge.