Battle Red Blog
The Houston Texans are set to be without starting running back Joe Mixon for at least the first four weeks of the regular season.
Mixon has stayed relatively healthy throughout his long career, but he’s been banged up lately. His ankle injury has been nagging him for a while, and the Texans are playing it safe with their veteran runner — a key leader both on and off the field.
When asked about Mixon’s outlook, Texans general manager Nick Caserio gave a cautious response:
“We’ll see. We’ll take it one day at a time. We’ll evaluate those players after four weeks and see where they are in their progression and then make a determination.”
Fans might’ve been hoping for a more positive update, but the reality is his status is up in the air. The Texans also have a history of keeping injury information close to the vest to protect competitive advantages, which is exactly what good teams do.
With Mixon sidelined, the Texans will turn to a committee backfield. The headliner is Pro Bowl running back Nick Chubb, who signed with Houston earlier this offseason and will be the Week 1 starter.
Chubb was once regarded as one of, if not the best running back in football, but at this point in his career, he can still make an impact, but he is going to need some help. The good news is that the Texans have a couple solid options on the roster.
That support could come from rookie Woody Marks, a fourth-round pick in 2024 who has had an impressive offseason. Marks has steadily improved and shown strong pass protection skills, something that will stand out to the Texans’ coaching staff.
Another option is Dameon Pierce, now entering his fourth season in Houston. Pierce was a breakout rookie in 2022 and gave Texans fans hope during a brutal stretch for the franchise. But since then, he’s been inconsistent. He’ll look to bounce back in Nick Caley’s new offensive scheme, which could be a better fit for his skill set.
Expect Chubb to handle most of the workload early, with Marks and Pierce battling for opportunities behind him. Either way, this backfield is in a much better spot than last year, and the Texans are confident they can hold down the run game until Mixon returns.
