As the NFL season approaches, there are a number of big-name players still available as free agents, and one of those names is former Cincinnati Bengals and Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon.
But why is Mixon still a free agent in mid-June?
Joe Mixon’s Health Is Still a Complete Mystery
To quickly answer the question of why Mixon is still a free agent, it’s simple: his health and injury status.
At this point, in June 2026, it’s still unclear exactly what led to his foot injury. The news first came to light in July 2025, and we still don’t know much beyond the fact that the Texans released Mixon.
Shortly after the news came to light, Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans began referring to Mixon in the past tense, which was a bit eyebrow-raising to say the least.
“We’re rolling with the guys that are here. That’s the main thing,” Ryans explained. “We miss Joe, miss his energy, and his enthusiasm and everything he brought to our team. We continue to press forward and hope he’s doing well.”
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Mixon’s release from the Texans came in March 2026, saving the team about $8 million in cap space. He didn’t suit up at all in 2025, but in 2024, he finished with a PFSN RB Impact score of 76.4, which ranked 20th in the NFL.
As for stats in 2024, Mixon ran 245 times for 1,016 yards and 11 touchdowns, and caught 36 passes on 52 targets for 309 yards and another score. He was named to his second Pro Bowl, his first since 2021.
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Still being a free agent, Mixon’s potential upside makes him one of the best available backs on the market. Of course, we have no idea what’s going on. All we know is that it was a foot injury that happened off the field.
Thus, until this foot injury is resolved, Mixon will seemingly remain a free agent. Admittedly, the silence and mystery surrounding this injury feel rather concerning, given its extent and possible causes.
In February 2026, Texans beat writer Aaron Wilson posted a comment from Texans general manager Nick Caserio that said he believed Mixon had surgery during the offseason. This feels like information that a team’s general manager should or would know, so the two sides seemed completely disconnected before his release.
Don’t expect Mixon to be on an NFL field anytime soon, including all of 2026, and it’s very likely we never see the 29-year-old running back play an NFL down again.