The Houston Texans officially submitted their initial 53-man roster on Tuesday, as they cut a bunch of players ahead of the 4 pm ET deadline. The Texans will work on tying up any loose ends on the roster as they turn their attention towards the regular season opener.
Houston will be looking to start the 2025 campaign on a high note with a road win over the Los Angeles Rams, which won’t be easy. One player that they won’t have for that game or for the first month of the season is star running back Joe Mixon.
The veteran running back was placed on the Non-Football Injury list with an ankle injury, which has forced him to miss numerous practices. Then, if that wasn’t bad, Aaron Wilson of KRPC-2 reported that Mixon would be placed on the reserve/NFI list, which means he’ll miss at least the first four games of the season.
On Wednesday, Texans general manager Nick Caserio provided some more information around Mixon’s status, and it doesn’t sound good.
#Texans Nick Caserio on injured Pro Bowl runner Joe Mixon: 'All injured players we take it one day at a time.' On NFI status: 'Not my call, it's the league's call.' Will he play this season? "We'll see. We'll evaluate it after four weeks.'
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) August 27, 2025
Texans GM Unsure When Joe Mixon Will Play This Season
According to Wilson, Caserio told reporters that it wasn’t his call to place Mixon on the NFI list, as the league took it into its own hands.
Additionally, the Texans' GM was asked if the veteran running back will play this season, and he responded with, “We’ll see. We’ll evaluate it after four weeks.”
If you’re a Texans fan, that answer doesn’t inspire much confidence, as Mixon has played a huge role in the offense. Last season, the veteran running back racked up 1,325 scrimmage yards and 12 total touchdowns on 281 touches.
With Mixon sidelined for the first month of the season, the Texans will lean on a combination of Nick Chubb, Woody Marks (rookie), Dameon Pierce, and Dare Ogunbowale. One has to expect that Chubb will get the share of the carries, but the other three running backs will be featured as well.
For a guy like Pierce, who was on the roster bubble throughout training camp/preseason, this is a good opportunity for him to re-establish himself in the offense. Pierce is set to become a free agent at the end of this season, so he can do a lot to change the narrative about himself.