HOUSTON – There is clarity on Texans Pro Bowl running back Joe Mixon due to a non-football injury situation described as “tough and complicated” by league sources.
Mixon will miss at least the first four games of the regular season as he will be officially shifted Tuesday afternoon from the active non-football injury list to the reserve-non-football injury list, the team announced. He can begin to practice and play after the fourth game of the season. Mixon is dealing with a foot-ankle issue. He first got hurt last season.
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“We will provide further updates at an appropriate time,” the team said in a statement.
Mixon’s injury recovery progressed from being in a walking boot, to wearing a lace-up brace to having increased mobility over the summer to, now, still being out indefinitely while rehabbing and navigating a somewhat complicated medical issue. Mixon visited a podiatrist before training camp that specializes in electromagnetic therapy to break up scar tissue.
The Texans will take their time with managing his recovery and will not rush him back onto the field after missing the entire offseason and the entire preseason They can lean on Nick Chubb, Dameon Pierce, Dare Ogunbowale and Woody Marks in his absence.
Chubb is listed as the starter and the Texans are pleased with his work in the preseason, including five runs for 25 yards against the Carolina Panthers.
“Chubb, from the first day he got here until now, I’ve seen him just continue to grow and get better,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said Monday. “You see him get into football shape, and I see him look better and better each week. Especially once we put the pads on, it’s like, ‘Wow, this is the Chubb that I remember.’ Physical downhill player. You see him popping some runs. He still has the explosion, the speed that it takes to make plays in this league. The guy just understands football. Very smart player, playmaker.
“When you need him to make plays, he’s going to make those plays. He’s going to keep churning out yards, so I’m very impressed with Chubb. I was impressed with him from afar but being able to see him up close and personal, see how he works. This guy, pre-practice he’s in the weight room, he has his routine down. Just a true pro and I think our guys, our younger guys, can see that and learn a lot from Chubb, who’s dealt with a lot. But, he’s handled himself like one of the best in the business. That’s what I expected we would get. Seeing it, I’m just even more impressed with Chubb and how he’s handled himself.”
The back story for Mixon, as reported previously, by KPRC 2, is the former Cincinnati Bengals second-round draft pick was in a walking boot in the spring. Once he got out of the boot, Mixon wore a lace-up ankle brace to protect him. That included wearing the brace at a youth football camp closed to media at the Texans’ indoor practice bubble.
Over the summer, the Pro Bowl selection significantly improved his mobility and made strides while rehabbing with his longtime trainer in California.
Mixon, when healthy, is a key part of the offense, boosting the running game significantly with his tackle-breaking skills and breakaway speed last season. He rushed for 1,016 yards and 11 touchdowns during the regular season last season despite missing three games with a high ankle sprain suffered on an illegal hip drop tackle that wasn’t penalized, but did trigger a $17,000 NFL fine for Chicago Bears linebacker T.J. Edwards.
Chubb signed a one-year, $5 million maximum value deal in the spring.
While rehabbing his injury at NRG Stadium and attending meetings, Mixon has been providing knowledge to Chubb and teammates to help them during his convalescence.
“He’s super helpful,” Chubb said. “Joe is a vet, too. He’s been in the game a long time. He’s always there for us. Anything we need, he has our back.”
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com