DeMeco Ryans really doesn’t want you to know about Joe Mixon’s injury.

What we do know is that Mixon is expected to miss most of the preseason after injuring his ankle earlier this offseason. Beyond that, the Houston Texans head coach hasn’t offered much, only a vague defense of Mixon’s privacy and a swipe at reporters “just trying to get something out there.”

Over the weekend, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Mixon, who’s on the non-football injury list, is expected to miss an extended period with a “frustrating” foot injury and will be reevaluated closer to the start of the 2025 season.

“Nothing’s changed with Joe. Joe is still working in the background,” Ryans said Monday when asked what changed regarding Mixon’s timeline and diagnosis. “I know we get reports about Joe. Nothing’s changed. He’s still working. Whenever it’s time for Joe to be back, he’ll be back. I know a lot of people want to report a lot of things about guys with injuries. My thing with this is: are you really concerned about our guys, or are you just trying to get something out there?

“For me, I always put my players’ health and safety first and foremost. I care about the guys, so you guys don’t hear me talking about their injuries, because that’s their personal information. Guys are working through that. And there’s nothing to report or get in an uproar about. Our guys are working, and it’s always sensitive to me because I’ve been there. I went through that. So it’s not just to report something to report something. I want people here who truly care about our guys. I care about our guys and what they’re doing throughout their process, and it’ll continue to be that way.”

DeMeco Ryans doesn’t want reporters to report about Joe Mixon’s injury or any other injuries pic.twitter.com/lejtJkbtS2

— The Coachspeak Index (@CoachspeakIndex) July 28, 2025

Spoken like a true former player.

But here’s the thing: the NFL has built a multi-billion-dollar empire on public engagement. That includes fantasy football, daily betting lines, prop bets, and endless speculation over injuries, depth charts, and transactions. Fans invest emotionally and financially in this league — some literally. So when a starting running back suddenly lands on the NFI list and disappears from team activity, it’s part of a reporter’s job to ask those questions.

And to suggest that media interest in an injury is somehow indifferent to player well-being is disingenuous. The goal isn’t to exploit players; it’s to inform the public. Transparency doesn’t mean disclosing medical charts, but it does mean being clear about roster-impacting developments, especially when those developments affect the fan experience, competitive balance, and, yes, legally sanctioned gambling markets.

Ryans’ approach makes perfect sense if your only priority is the locker room. But in today’s NFL, that’s not the only priority. There’s a reason the league mandates injury reports. There’s a reason teams are fined for hiding player statuses. There’s a reason fans care.

So while Ryans may see silence as a sign of respect, the media’s push for answers is all about accountability, not disrespect. And if the NFL wants to continue cashing checks from sportsbooks, that accountability isn’t optional. It’s the cost of doing business.