Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon. Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports

Texans land former Pro Bowler as consolation prize for Saquon Barkley

By Victor Barbosa | Last updated 3/12/24

The Houston Texans are acquiring longtime Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon after the two AFC teams agreed to a trade on Tuesday.

The deal comes one day after Houston's leading rusher from last season (Devin Singletary) agreed to a three-year, $16.5M deal with the New York Giants. Singletary will be replacing two-time Pro Bowler Saquon Barkley, who is joining the Philadelphia Eagles.

The #Texans have been in the RB market, but patiently waiting. Now, they land Mixon in a surprise trade. https://t.co/3UN0pUZqWr
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 12, 2024

Joe Mixon is due $5.75 million in 2024 -- including a $3,000,028 roster bonus due Sunday -- in the last year of his contract.

Instead of being cut by the #Bengals, Mixon now lands in a great spot with the #Texans, who just lost leading rusher Devin Singletary to the #Giants.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 12, 2024

The Texans were long rumored to be one of the top contenders for Barkley's services, but when the asking price surpassed what they were willing to spend, the team reportedly "switched their focus" to Mixon.

Texans have been sticking to their market and price point for better or worse as Caserio isn’t going to overspend.

They were after Barkley, but didn’t want to match the Eagles bid and switched their focus to Mixon as @CotyDavis_24 reported.

They went after Patrick Queen and…
— DJ Bien-Aime (@Djbienaime) March 12, 2024

A 2021 Pro Bowler, Mixon recorded his fourth season of 1,000-plus rushing yards (1,034) in 2023 and added nine touchdowns. He also reeled in 52 receptions on 64 targets for 376 yards and three scores, giving star quarterback C.J. Stroud a much-needed pass-catching option out of the backfield.

Joe Mixon gained 376 receiving yards in 2023, including +131 receiving yards over expected, 4th-most among running backs.

Texans running backs gained +28 YAC over expected last season, 4th-fewest in the NFL.#WeAreTexans https://t.co/VtbqJ741eB pic.twitter.com/9lmR51MkUY
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) March 12, 2024

Per ESPN's DJ Bien-Aime, the Bengals will be getting an undisclosed draft pick in exchange for Mixon. The 27-year-old joins 2022 fourth-round pick Dameon Pierce in the Texans projected backfield.

Pierce posted 939 rushing yards and four touchdowns at 4.3 yards per carry, plus 30 catches for 165 yards and one score through the air in just 13 games as a rookie. His numbers dropped significantly last season with 416 rushing yards, two scores on the ground and 2.9 yards per carry, while adding only 13 catches for 101 scoreless yards in 14 contests.

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