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Joe Mixon's future with the Houston Texans isn't looking great and that could lead to the team being in the market for a new starting running back in 2026.
Mixon missed all of last season with a foot injury and is now a prime cut candidate for Houston in 2026.
Parting ways with Mixon would leave the Texans with unproven backs like Woody Marks and Jawhar Jordan, so signing a veteran will be a must in that scenario.
According to Aaron Wilson of Click2Houston.com, the Texans are indeed expected to cut ties with Mixon.
He adds that Houston is expected to have interest in some of the top available free agents at running back this offseason, a list that includes Breece Hall, Travis Etienne, Kenneth Walker and Rico Dowdle.
"The Texans are widely expected to ultimately part ways with Mixon via a failed physical, per league sources, and releasing him from his three-year, $27 million contract and would save $8.5 million in the process." Wilson wrote.
"Meanwhile, Texans are expected to explore the high-end running back market that includes Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl MVP selection Kenneth Walker III, Jacksonville Jaguars veteran runner Travis Etienne Jr. and Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle, per league sources," Wilson added.
Wilson went on to mention Hall in his write-up, but noted that the expectation is the Jets will use the franchise tag on him, something Jets general manager Darren Mougey has since admitted could be the case.
However, some NFL insiders believe it's possible New York will use the transition tag on Hall, which would allow him to negotiate with other teams while giving the Jets an opportunity to match.
We would expect Houston to make an offer for Hall if he indeed gets the transition tag, which would pose a significant threat to the Jets' hopes of keeping the veteran rusher.
Walker is likely to return to Seattle, where the team is flush with cap space and can offer him just about anything.
That said, the Seahawks aren't going to hand Walker a blank check and will have their limit. Perhaps Houston will be the team to offer Walker a deal so big that it leaves the Seahawks going in a different direction.
We believe Etienne and Dowdle are far more attainable.
The Jaguars are in a bad spot in terms of cap space, so paying big money to a running back just doesn't feel like it's in the cards for Jacksonville.
As great as Dowdle was last season for Carolina, he became disgruntled over his role being diminished late in the season and could be looking for a new home.
Carolina may be keen on a split, also, with the team already paying Chuba Hubbard and having young backs like Jonathon Brooks and Trevor Etienne waiting in the wings.
While neither Etienne nor Dowdle are as exciting as Walker and Hall, both would check the box the Texans need. We'd prefer Etienne over Dowdle thanks to his superior track record of production and better all-around skill set.
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