Texans RB Joe Mixon (ankle) to miss at least first 4 games

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HOUSTON -- Texans running back Joe Mixon won't be activated from the non-football injury list by Tuesday's 4 p.m. ET deadline, making him ineligible to play at least the first four games this season due to an ankle injury.

Mixon, who injured his ankle over the offseason, will be moved to reserve/non-football injury list before Tuesday's deadline.

Mixon, 29, rushed for 1,016 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2024, earning him Pro Bowl honors in his first season for the Texans.

The Texans took steps to offset Mixon's potential absence this offseason by signing four-time Pro Bowl running back Nick Chubb after his seven-year stint with the Cleveland Browns and drafting Woody Marks out of USC in the fourth round of April's NFL draft.

Mixon missing time during the season always appeared to be likely when he started camp on the active/non-football injury list. He also didn't practice during OTAs and minicamp with the team. The last time he participated with no restriction in anything with the Texans that related to a game or practice with media present was Houston's divisional round playoff game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Week 5 is when Mixon can potentially return when the Texans prepare to face the Baltimore Ravens. In the meantime, besides Chubb and Marks, the other options to fill in for Mixon are running backs Dameon Pierce, who started training camp on the physically unable to perform list, but eventually was activated, and Dare Ogunbowale.

So far Chubb has been the main running back for the Texans' starting offense with Pierce and Ogunbowale also seeing some action.

The Texans open the season on the road against the Los Angeles Rams.

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