Joe Mixon Destined for NFI List, to Miss at Least 4 Games

‘At least’ may be perhaps the most important note to make regarding Mixon, who has been unable to make substantial progress in his recovery since initially going down with the injury in July. With the first four games officially ruled out of the question for 2025, the focus now shifts to just how much value Mixon will be able to return even once he’s back. Given the apparently serious nature of the injury (he’ll be two months into ‘recovery’ from the injury come late September), it’s probably safe to assume there will be a ramp-up and re-acclimation period after having missed the majority of the core of Houston’s offseason training program. That makes even his already deflated (and falling) 8th-round consensus ADP on ESPN and Sleeper difficult to stomach, as fantasy managers who are bold enough to draft him could be looking at 8+ weeks without Mixon at full strength. That’s a worst-case scenario, of course, but given that the Texans have been radio silent about the nature of Mixon’s injury, it’s impossible to gauge just exactly what the full recover timeline could look like. In relief of Mixon, veteran RBs Nick Chubb and Dameon Pierce are set to shoulder the load with Chubb being the favorite as of today to take on the early down role. Pierce could reasonably find his way onto the field if Chubb isn’t the same RB as he was in his heyday with the Browns, making him an intriguing dart throw especially if Mixon would miss more than the allotted four games for his stint on the NFI list. Rookie RB Woody Marks, meanwhile, could wind up taking some third down snaps, but it’s unlikely his role is large enough even in that capacity as of today to make him worth a pick in drafts or a claim off waivers.