Texans GM: 'No crystal ball' on RB Joe Mixon's return

Houston Texans general manager Nick Caserio knows that running back Joe Mixon will miss at least the first four games of the season with a foot/ankle injury. What happens beyond that is unknown.

Mixon was placed on the non-football injury list, meaning he must sit out at least the first four games. And Caserio declined to put a timeline on when Mixon will make his 2025 debut.

"We take it one day at a time. There's no crystal ball out there," Caserio said Wednesday. "We build a team and take the information and plan accordingly. So, Joe is not available right now. Whenever he becomes available, we'll talk about it at that point in time."

Mixon, 29, made his second Pro Bowl after he played 14 games (all starts) and rushed 245 times for 1,016 yards and 11 touchdowns in his first season with Houston in 2024. He added 36 receptions for 309 yards and one score.

How the Texans replace that production remains to be seen. They signed veteran Nick Chubb in the offseason, and he's expected to be part of a backfield timeshare that includes former starter Dameon Pierce and rookie fourth-round pick Woody Marks.

Mixon hasn't practiced and reports indicated that he initially sustained the injury while away from the Texans this offseason. Players on the NFI list -- as opposed to the 53-man roster -- are ineligible for the first four games of the regular season.

"It's not my call. It's the league's call," Caserio said. "You turn the transactions in, and they put the players in categories. So, that's how it's handled.

"It's the same category. Some of this is logistics and vernacular. Honestly, I think a lot is made more than it really is. Whatever the status is, on reserve it's four games. After four games then you see where the player is. Doesn't mean they're going to come back; it just means that they're available to start the 21-day window. So, those players are all treated the same. That's how we view it."

Caserio also declined to get into details on the status of veteran safety Jimmie Ward, who was placed on the commissioner's exempt list following multiple offseason arrests and a felony domestic violence charge.

"Whatever the league decides. Honestly, it's their decision," Caserio said. "We'll deal with it accordingly. We'll let the process play itself out. So, I don't really have anything to add beyond that."

--Field Level Media