Joe Mixon, Houston Texans
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Joe Mixon #28 of the Houston Texans takes the field before a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Houston Texans likely did not need further validation of their trade for Pro Bowl running back Joe Mixon ahead of the 2024 season, not after he justified their decision with a 1,000-yard rushing season and over 1,300 yards from scrimmage.
Mixon is the first Texans back to cross the 1,000-yard mark on the ground since Carlos Hyde in 2019, and the 10th player in franchise history.
His showing impressed some outside the Texans, too.
“Really good vision, feet, contact balance — a hammer in the run game,” an anonymous personnel evaluator told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler in comments published on July 7. “Looked worn down at the end of the season, but overall that was a really good trade for Houston.”
“Mixon looked rejuvenated in Houston after the Texans acquired him in a trade with Cincinnati in March 2024,” Fowler wrote. “Mixon is the NFL’s only player with at least 1,300 scrimmage yards and nine touchdowns in each of the past four seasons. His 94.6 scrimmage yards per game last year trails only Arian Foster (2014) and DeAndre Hopkins (2015, 2018) in Texans history.”
Mixon, who has earned $48.4 million in his career, is under contract with the Texans through the 2026 season on a two-year, $19.7 million deal.
Texans Get Reality Check About Joe Mixon
Joe Mixon, Houston Texans
GettyJoe Mixon #28 of the Houston Texans warms up before a game against the Baltimore Ravens.
The personnel evaluator’s thoughts on whether or not Mixon ran out of steam are only one potential knock against the 29-year-old, two-time Pro Bowler. Sharp Analysis Football’s Warren Sharp called the idea of Mixon being a top-10 back “hilarious.”
Per Sharp on July 7, out of 46 qualifying running backs, Mixon ranked 33rd in yards per carry, 42nd in stuff rate, 43rd in success rate, and 44th in explosiveness.
“Joe Mixon still has some explosive ability 一 he gained 10 or more yards on 11% of his carries,” Sharp wrote on July 2. “However, his tendency to chase big plays comes at the expense of too many negative ones. Mixon was stuffed for zero or fewer yards at the league’s fifth highest rate (24%).”
Mixon ranked ninth on ESPN’s list, which consisted of takes from 70 contributors.
Mixon’s highest ranking was fifth, and his lowest spot was unranked. Notably, Mixon was an honorable mention on the 2024 iteration of the list. Then, Mixon was coming off his fourth career 1,000-yard season and had 31 explosive plays.
“He’ll be good for the Texans’ offense,” an anonymous personnel evaluator said, per Fowler in July 2024. “He’ll be a steady presence and can get tough yards on first and second down.”
Fowler wrote Mixon is “not a home run hitter” but has “just about everything else.”
Texans’ Backup Plan Also Risky
Nick Chubb, Houston Texans
GettyNick Chubb #24 of the Houston Texans looks on during a game against the Minnesota Vikings.
In an article published on July 2, Sharp ranked the Texans’ running back room 17th in the league. In addition to consistency from Mixon, the Texans are hoping to get a bounce-back season from newcomer Nick Chubb.
The four-time Pro Bowler ranked No. 3 on the 2024 top-10 RB list. That was coming off a knee injury in which he suffered multiple torn ligaments and needed several surgeries.
“Chubb has been the game’s best pure rusher when healthy,” Fowler wrote in 2024.
Fowler noted that some evaluators left Chubb off their ballots in 2024. One anonymous AFC executive said the former Cleveland Brown would be RB1 “if healthy.” An anonymous AFC personnel evaluator cited Chubbs’ instincts and feet in light of a likely loss of explosion.
Chubb’s nebulous status coming off that knee injury “complicated” his evaluation.
Chubb leads the league in yards per carry among RBs with at least 500 carries since the start of the 2018 campaign. He still slid off the top-10 list entirely.
“After suffering a serious knee injury early in the 2023 season, Chubb returned to the field for the Browns in 2024 but was limited to 332 yards in eight games before his season-ending broken foot in Week 15,” ESPN wrote on July 7, explaining Chubb’s omission. “Chubb, 29, signed a one-year, $2.5 million deal with the Texans this offseason.”
Mixon ranks 39th on that same list.
2025 fourth-round pick Woody Marks figures to mix into the backfield rotation. Moreover, the Texans have yet to deal trade candidate and 2022 fourth-rounder Dameon Pierce. They have left themselves with multiple backup plans behind Mixon and even Chubb.