1 Season Out: Joe Mixon Teases NFL Return in Hype Video

Former NFL running back Joe Mixon has not played a regular-season snap since 2024, but a social media video posted on October 3, 2026, indicates he may be ready to return to the league. Mixon missed the entire 2025 campaign due to a foot injury that Houston Texans general manager Nick Caserio described as a freak occurrence without disclosing specific medical details.

Joe Mixon Teases NFL Return After Missing 2025 Season

Mixon released a hype video on X on October 3, 2026, addressing his recovery from the foot injury that kept him sidelined for all of 2025. The footage concluded with the running back shouting, Let’s Go! I’m back, baby! It remains unclear whether any NFL franchise will bring him in for a workout, though the video suggests he considers himself fully healthy.

Texans Release Mixon After Pro Bowl Season

The Texans released Mixon in March after trading for David Montgomery. Prior to his injury-shortened stint in Houston, Mixon played the 2024 season with the Texans following a trade from the Cincinnati Bengals. During that 2024 campaign, Mixon rushed for 1,016 yards and 11 touchdowns, earning Pro Bowl honors while adding 36 receptions for 309 yards and another score.

Seven-Year Tenure With the Cincinnati Bengals

Before moving to Texas, Mixon spent seven seasons with the Bengals from 2017 to 2023. Cincinnati drafted him in the second round, 48th overall, in the 2017 NFL Draft. In 97 regular-season games with the Bengals, he rushed for 6,412 yards and 49 touchdowns.

By the end of his tenure in Cincinnati, Mixon grew dissatisfied with his offensive workload as the coaching staff limited his carries. Speaking to reporter Josina Anderson nearly two years ago after joining Houston, Mixon expressed appreciation for his time in Cincinnati while criticizing local reporters and noting satisfaction with how the Texans utilized his passing-game skills.