The Houston Texans have found their running back, acquiring Joe Mixon in a trade with the Bengals, as the dust began to settle on a loaded free-agent market at the position.
According to a report from Ian Rapoport, the Texans plucked Joe Mixon from Cincinnati in exchange for a seventh-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Mixon could prove to be a fantastic fit in the Texans’ backfield alongside upstart and ascending quarterback, in former No. 1 overall pick C.J. Stroud, and young receivers Tank Dell, Nico Collins, and Noah Brown, rounding out what has the potential to be an explosive offense.
Last season, Joe Mixon rushed for 1,034 yards with nine touchdowns. Prior to being traded, there had been some speculation that the Bengals might release Mixon, however, Cincinnati added a draft pick to their war chest and the Texans landed an affordable option at running back for the upcoming season.
From a Cincinnati perspective, Mixon became expendable after the Bengals agreed to terms with veteran running back Zack Moss.
What Joe Mixon Adds to Texans’ Offense
Behind Stroud, and head coach DeMeco Ryans, the Texans have the pieces in place to make a legitimate run at the Super Bowl as perhaps the Kansas City Chiefs’ biggest threat to a three-peat.
As Pro Football Focus points out, Mixon rattled off 27 explosive runs last season while averaging 2.51 yards after contact per carry and forcing 31 missed tackles.
Originally chosen by the Bengals in the second round of the 2017 draft, Joe Mixon has rushed for 6,412 yards with 49 touchdowns while averaging 4.1 yards per carry.
Joe Mixon’s violent downhill running style and elusiveness in the open-field gives him the potential to be a driving force in the Texans’ offense.
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