Jan 11, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon (28) scores a touchdown against the Los Angeles Chargers in the fourth quarter in an AFC wild card game at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

Texans Give No Timeline on Joe Mixon Return

Originally posted on Houston Texans on SI | By Jared Koch | Last updated Aug 23, 2025 6:05 PM ET

Just under two weeks away from the kickoff of the Houston Texans' 2025 regular season, and we still have yet to see any Joe Mixon on the field throughout preseason, as the veteran back has been dealing with a lingering foot injury sidelining him since July's OTAs and minicamps.

Earlier reports from Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 noted that Mixon is "not considered a lock to be ready so opener," effectively putting his Week 1 status in the air. And now, with that season-opener sitting right around the corner, the Texans still seemingly don't have a concrete answer for when Mixon may be back in the mix.

Following the Texans' third and final preseason game vs. the Detroit Lions, head coach DeMeco Ryans was asked about the status of both Mixon and injured safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, hinting that they'll re-evaluate their status next week.

"All of our guys are working, and everybody's on their own timetable," Ryans said after the 26-7 win over the Lions. "When it comes to getting back from injury, we'll see where we are next week when we get back, and as we start to allow the roster to shape itself out, we'll see where we end up with those guys."

It's not irregular to see Mixon bow out of the preseason action that's transpired for the past three weeks, as he wasn't a part of the action last season before he was en route to a strong 1,000-plus-yard, 12 touchdown campaign.

This time around, there's a bit more cloudiness on the subject of his status, but it's not to say the veteran won't be ready to go once their first meeting of the year is up, as he'll have another two weeks to get right in the facility before the events of this season get rolling.

And when it comes to the recovery and rehabilitation of those stars on the sidelines, it's clear Coach Ryans has the utmost confidence in his surrounding staff and trainers to get guys like Mixon and Gardner-Johnson back to 100%, whenever that time may be.

"One thing about our guys that are not here; our staff is the best staff in ball. They do an outstanding job of being out there to support our guys, help them so that when they come back from injury, they're back. So, I'm really thankful for the staff that I work with on a daily basis, because they do an outstanding job."

The Texans will have two weeks to get their lineup right before their first meeting of the year arrives with a road date against Nick Caley's former squad in the Los Angeles Rams. Time will tell if Mixon will be among those names in the lineup and ready to go.

This article first appeared on Houston Texans on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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