The Houston Texans have made their first big splash of the NFL offseason.
After falling short to the Philadelphia Eagles in the race to sign star free agent running back Saquon Barkley, the Texans shifted their focus to another big-time back.
Only this time, they were able to land their target, with the Texans agreeing to a trade with the Cincinnati Bengals to acquire explosive do-it-all running back Joe Mixon, according to multiple reports on Tuesday.
Now, that trade is official, with the Bengals announcing the deal.
TexansDaily.com reported on Monday that, according to sources, the Texans had immediately shifted their focus to Mixon as their top running back target following the loss of Barkley, as well as the subsequent signing of Devin Singletary by the Giants.
Mixon, who was trending to hit the open market as a free agent this offseason, was never officially released by the Bengals, allowing the Texans to come to terms on the deal.
The Texans will send the Bengals back a conditional seventh-round pick in the deal.
Mixon now joins a stacked group on the offensive side of the ball in Houston, led by quarterback C.J. Stroud, and receivers Tank Dell and Nico Collins - something he should be familiar with coming from a Bengals team with Joe Burrow, Ja'marr Chase, Tyler Boyd and Tee Higgins.
The 27-year-old running back is coming off his fourth career year of rushing for over 1,000 yards. Mixon finished his final season with the Cincinnati Bengals rushing for 1,034 yards on 257 attempts and nine touchdowns.
His best season came in 2021 when Mixon rushed for a career-best 1,205 yards on 292 carries and 13 touchdowns. His production helped the Bengals reach Super Bowl LVI, where Cincinnati fell 23-20 to the Los Angeles Rams. The Bengals' Super Bowl run also marked Mixon's lone Pro Bowl honor.
More must-reads: