Jan. 21, 2026, 6:11 p.m. CT

Even if Houston Texans fans hope to see Pro Bowl running back Joe Mixon return to the sidelines in 2026, his overall time in the NFL could be in jeopardy.

Texans general manager Nick Caserio didn’t offer much on Mixon’s long-term status during Wednesday’s end-of-the-year press conference, but the little information relayed left a massive uncertainty about the running back’s status for next season after missing the entire year with a foot injury.

“We haven’t seen Joe in a little bit, so I think at some point we’ll see him and then we’ll be able to evaluate kind of where he is and then based on information, we’ll see where his status is,” Caserio said.

Mixon, who remains under contract through 2026, did not partake in any offseason workouts. During training camp, the Texans ruled him out due to the foot issue and entered the regular-season with him remaining on the NFI list. By mid-October, it became clear internally that Mixon’s issue would likely linger through the regular season, thus costing him the entire campaign.

When asked for specifics on the severity of the injury, Caserio gave a bit more information but still didn’t specify exactly how it occurred.

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“It wasn’t like he was riding a snowmobile or anything like that,” Caserio said. “It was more of a medical condition or situation that never … really didn’t improve maybe as much as everybody would have hoped. I’m not trying to evade the question; that’s the reality of the situation. He didn’t jump off a building. He wasn’t cliff diving or anything. He wasn’t doing anything irresponsible. It was just a freak thing.”

Houston was hopeful to see Mixon build off a promising first season at NRG Stadium under new offensive coordinator Nick Caley. In Bobby Slowik’s offense, he totaled 1,016 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns while earning Pro Bowl honors.

Instead, the Texans relied on a combination of former Pro Bowler Nick Chubb and rookie Woody Marks to serve as the focal point of the ground game. Even though they made it work, Caserio said the team truly held out hope that a return could happen at some point before the postseason.

“I don’t think anybody really had any clarity, honestly, from the start of the year until now,” Caserio said. “I’d say Joe worked very, very hard to try to get himself ready to play football, it just never manifested itself, came to fruition. So probably have an opportunity to kind of see where he is in the offseason relative to next year.”

Mixon, 29, remains under contract after signing a three-year, $27 million extension with the Texans in 2024. If the Texans were to release him, they wouldn’t owe him any more guaranteed money, thus making it an easy move should the injury linger. According to Over The Cap, Houston would actually save $8 million in cap space should it move off Mixon entering the final year of his deal.

Everything, including a reunion, remains a possibility for the Texans, but Caserio must meet with Mixon first. After that, he’ll leave it up to those with more knowledge about the body to determine the status of the once-thought long-term runner.

“I’m not smart enough to be a doctor, so I’m going to leave that up to the medical experts,” he said. “Once we… get a little bit more clarity, more information, we’ll kind of see where we are.”

The Texans hold the 28th overall pick in the upcoming NFL draft this April.