Last offseason, it felt like the Texans had a very strong group heading into the regular season. You had Joe Mixon, who, when healthy, is one of the best running backs in the league, penciled in as the starter. You also drafted a young, promising rookie in Woody Marks out of USC, and added a veteran in Nick Chubb, who was once among the best at his position.

As the season started creeping in, there was more and more doubt about Mixon’s availability for Week 1 due to a lower-leg injury he suffered at some point during the offseason. His status became less and less optimistic as the season went on, and that trend never really changed.

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Now, in the 2026 offseason, there is still very little information about what exactly happened to Mixon, and it doesn’t feel like we’ll ever get full clarity. Mixon seems to believe he’ll be back next season, as he has been posting about it on social media.

There is definitely a scenario where Mixon is not on the Texans next season, given the questions surrounding his ability to stay healthy. At the same time, it also wouldn’t be shocking to see him back as the starting running back in Week 1.

It feels a bit too early to make a firm prediction, but if the Texans feel they can’t trust Mixon to stay healthy, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them pursue an above-average running back. There should be plenty of options available in free agency.

Regardless, the Texans already have their second running back on the roster in Marks. The former USC Trojan looked impressive throughout his rookie year and could be the future starter, but it may benefit him to be part of a split backfield for now, where his skill set can be maximized.

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Chubb will not be back with the Texans next season, which makes sense given his clear decline. Houston will likely want to get younger at the position, and they could also add talent in the draft, where they hold several high picks.

The best-case scenario for Houston is Mixon entering training camp fully healthy, returning to top-10 form, with Marks taking on a complementary role that helps keep Mixon fresh throughout the season.

It’s hard to feel great about the room as things stand due to the uncertainty, but the Texans have several paths forward regardless of which direction they choose.