Joe Mixon released as Texans move before new league year
joe mixon is out in Houston after the Texans released the veteran running back on Friday, a decision made ahead of the new league year. The move came one day after Mixon requested his release on Thursday, and the team granted it Friday. The decision also clears significant cap room as the Texans continue reshaping their backfield.
Texans grant release request and open cap space
Adam Schefter said the Texans released Mixon on Friday, with the decision coming after Mixon asked to be released Thursday. The move is tied to cap management as well: OverTheCap listed the release as freeing $8 million of cap space while creating $2 million in dead money.
The Texans’ decision also comes days after they agreed to acquire David Montgomery from the Detroit Lions. With Montgomery arriving as a younger option to pair with Woody Marks, Houston is clearly turning the page at running back.
Injury uncertainty and a full season on the NFI list
Mixon missed all of 2025 with an undisclosed injury and underwent surgery recently, with his timetable still unknown. He spent the entire season on the non-football injury list after suffering a foot/ankle injury during the summer, and the specifics around how the injury occurred have remained unclear.
Texans General Manager Nick Caserio addressed the situation by saying Mixon did not sustain the injury away from football activities. At the same time, placement on the NFI list indicated the injury happened away from official Texans workouts.
Aaron Wilson previously relayed that a league source indicated during the season that Mixon was not expected to return and that his career going forward might be in doubt.
How joe mixon arrived in Houston—and what he did in 2024
Mixon originally landed with the Texans in 2024 when the Bengals traded him to Houston for a seventh-round pick after Cincinnati had been close to releasing him. Houston then extended Mixon on a deal described as two years for $19. 75 million with $13 million guaranteed at signing.
Another contract breakdown described Mixon signing a three-year extension worth $27 million with $14 million guaranteed, with Mixon set to enter the final year of that deal in 2026 and due $8. 5 million.
On the field, the 2024 season was productive: Mixon totaled 1, 016 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns in 14 games, earning a Pro Bowl invitation as the Texans returned to the divisional round. A separate statistical line also credited him with 245 carries for 1, 016 yards and 11 touchdowns, plus 36 catches for 309 yards and another touchdown.
What’s next after the Texans release
The Texans now turn fully to a revamped backfield plan built around Montgomery and Marks, with the Mixon chapter closed before the new league year. For joe mixon, the immediate question is health—his post-surgery timetable remains unknown, and the uncertainty around the injury continues to loom over his next step.
