To solve the mystery of what exactly the 'freak' foot injury was that kept Joe Mixon out of action for the entire 2025 NFL season, you may need to consult with private investigator Benoit Blanc, the world's greatest detective who happens to have a knack for getting to the bottom of even the most unsolvable cases.
But one mystery that we don't need Benoit Blanc's assistance on is whether Joe Mixon will be back in a Houston Texans uniform in 2026. Although it remains a possibility that Mixon could return to the field and regain his spot atop the Texans' running back depth chart, the overwhelming likelihood is that the Pro Bowl running back will need to continue his football journey elsewhere if he wants it to continue at all.
By all accounts, Mixon does indeed plan on coming back for the 2026 season. He's suggested as much on social media. However, the Texans have a significant financial incentive to move on from Joe Mixon this offseason. If Mixon is cut, the Texans will save $8 million towards their salary cap, crucial for any team, but particularly for a franchise like Houston which is strapped as is and has major financial decisions to make in the upcoming couple of years.
With that said, nobody within the Houston Texans organization has yet to provide a straightforward answer regarding whether Mixon can be expected to return next season, though with how coy they've been with all discussions related to his injury, that's not a huge surprise.
So on the surface, while it may seem as though anyone within the Texans organization keeping the door open for a Mixon return is unexpected, it's on par with how they've handled things from the very start. If anything, you have to commend Texans general manager Nick Caserio for his stubborn resilience in making it sound as if he could envision Mixon putting on a Texans uniform any time in the near future.
"We're, at some point, probably going to see Joe for an evaluation to kind of see where he is," Caserio said this week when asked about whether Mixon would return in 2026. "Honestly, Joe worked really hard to try and get himself ready. I think he's commited to try to be able to play football this year. We'll see if he's physically is able to do it or not. So, it's a little bit of a moving target still. Before we get to the season, I'm sure we'll have an idea."
The Texans would greatly benefit from getting this situation sorted out sooner rather than later, if only because Houston's running back room is as thin as a slice of deli meat. The only player that you could really count on being in the equation next season is Woody Marks, whose rookie season flashed promise, but was marred with frustration due to the fact that seemingly every other game Marks was leaving action early because of injury.
Even if the Texans feel good about bringing Mixon back after the team's doctors and training staff puts him through a thorough medical evaluation, in order to have faith that this unit can hold up through the rigors of an 18-week regular season schedule, the Texans will need to have some reinforcements ready.