HOUSTON – Texans general manager Nick Caserio was noncommittal on the status of injured Pro Bowl running back Joe Mixon when asked directly when and if he’ll return to play.
Mixon is on the non-football injury list with a foot-ankle issue described as “tough and complicated” by league sources. He is out at least the first four weeks of the season.
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The vagueness on Mixon and the complexity of his injury raises concerns about when or if he’ll play football this season. One source said it’s entirely unclear when Mixon will be back and said it could likely take longer than the first four weeks of the season.
When asked about Mixon and if he will play this season, Caserio replied: “Once we get through four weeks, we’ll evaluate it at that time. We’ll see, we’ll take it one day at a time. We’ll evaluate it after four weeks.”
When asked about the backs filling in for Mixon, including four-time Pro Bowl runner Nick Chubb as the current starter, Caserio said: “We feel like the players on the team can help us or they wouldn’t be here.”
Mixon first got hurt last season, dealing with a high ankle sprain suffered during an illegal hip drop tackle from Chicago Bears linebacker T.J. Edwards.
“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 in the spring, to the 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, per a league source. There have been issues with the aftercare of the injury throughout the offseason and it has been slow to recover and has left him sidelined now as the start of the season approaches.
On Mixon being on the non-football injury list, Caserio didn’t elaborate on why he was classified that way. By definition, the designation means that the NFL regards the injury as something not sustained in a team-involved activity.
“Not my call, it’s the league’s call,” Caserio said. “Some of it is logistics and vernacular.”
The Texans will take their time with managing Mixon’s recovery and will not rush him back onto the field after missing the entire offseason and the entire preseason They can lean on Chubb, Dameon Pierce, Dare Ogunbowale and Woody Marks in his absence.
“My expectation is, for Joe, we’re taking it one day at a time,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said, “and when he’s ready to be back, he’ll be back.”
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 is the third all-time leading rusher in Browns franchise history, behind Hall of Fame running backs Jim Brown and Leroy Kelly. Two seasons ago, Chubb sustained a serious knee injury. Last season, he broke his foot. Healthy again, Chubb got better and better after a somewhat slow start to training camp in terms of his explosiveness. Now, Chubb is moving well and playing with an obvious confidence.
“Chubb, from the first day he got here until now, I’ve seen him just continue to grow and get better,” 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. He is not ready to return to practice, though.
In a lengthy answer, Ryans discussed why it’s both his and the organization’s stance to not be more transparent when it comes to injuries.
“I don’t talk about the injuries much because I’m thinking about the player,” Ryans said. “It’s different for me, I played the game. So, I can see all the news and media that’s circulates on everybody speculating. It’s all out of respect for the players and the men who put the work in, in the locker room, to grind and what they put their bodies through to be on the field. That’s always at the forefront of my thoughts.”
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.
“As many great players we can have, we’ll take them.” Ryans said when asked about the tandem the Texans could have whenever Mixon is back. “We know what both guys are capable of. You also throw Dameon in the mix. We have a very deep running back room, what Woody has been able to show throughout the preseason. It’s just a lot of players that can provide a ton of depth for us and guys that can really get us through the season.”
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