The Houston Texans announced Monday, Aug. 25, that star running back Joe Mixon will miss at least four games of the NFL season opener with an ankle injury.
“We sent running back Joe Mixon to the injured list, who will not be able to begin practicing and playing at least until after the fourth regular season game. He will undergo further testing to determine the progress of his injury,” the Texans said.
Joe Mixon misses season opener
Joe Mixon will miss games against the Los Angeles Rams on Sept. 7, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sept. 15, the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sept. 21 and the Tennessee Titans on Sept. 28.
The 29-year-old running back is coming off a season, his first with the Texans, in which, despite missing three games due to injury, he totaled 11 touchdowns and 1,016 ground yards.
It was the fifth 1,000-plus yard year in his eight years in the NFL.
Joe Mixon became one of the league’s most powerful running backs from the time he was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the second round of the 2017 Draft until his trade to Houston last year.
Without the Oakley, California native, the Texans will shift the responsibility of their ground attack to former Cleveland Browns star Nick Chubb.
Nick Chubb signed this offseason with Houston and is now recovered from the fracture he suffered in his foot in Week 15 of the previous season.
“From the first day he arrived I have seen Chubb continue to grow and improve.
“He’s a powerful runner, he still has the burst and speed to make big plays in this league,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans noted of Mixon’s reliever.
The 29-year-old Chubb, a four-time Pro Bowl player, has suffered several injuries over the past two years.
Last June he signed with the Texans looking to return to being the dominant power forward he was from 2019-2022, campaigns in which he consistently topped 1,000 yards per carry.
In addition to Mixon and Chubb, rounding out Houston’s running back room are Dameon Pierce, 31-year-old veteran Dare Ogunbowale and 24-year-old rookie Woody Marks, drafted in last April’s draft.
With information from Agencia Efe
