The Seattle Seahawks were nearly going to be running back Joe Mixon’s new home. However, they have now backtracked from that development, leaving the veteran running back in free agency. Here is all about it.
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“For Seattle, they had a situation that is worth discussing here,” ESPN’s Ian Rapoport said on the NFL Network’s The Insiders. “Joe Mixon, the free agent running back, one of the biggest named free agent running backs, visited yesterday, and the Seahawks did not pass him on the physical.
“There were reports that they were going to sign him due to a degenerative foot issue that may never allow Joe Mixon to play again. The Seahawks elected not to sign him. This is not a surprise. This is something the Houston Texans have known. This is why he did not play his final year in Houston. I would say whether or not he plays again ever is certainly up for debate.”
Seattle started looking for another running back after rookie Jadarian Price suffered a chest injury and was placed on injured reserve. Zach Charbonnet is also on the PUP list, leaving Seattle short on depth at the position.
Right now, Emanuel Wilson is the lead back, and George Holani is behind him. However, neither provides the same experience as an established veteran like Mixon.
Mixon played seven seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals and one with the Houston Texans, accounting for a total of 7,428 rushing yards and 60 touchdowns in the regular season. He also made the Pro Bowl twice and has rushed for more than 1,000 yards in five of his eight previous seasons.
The injury scare must have been really hard to ignore in a running back like Mixon, whose last 1,000+ rushing-yard season came only in 2024. Head coach Mike Macdonald, when asked about the Seahawks’ interest in Mixon, stressed their lack of RBs, and then said, “[Mixon’s] a good running back.”
But the player injured his foot during the offseason last year and missed the entirety of Houston’s 2025 campaign. While the injury details have not been shared, Texans general manager Nick Caserio described it as a “freak” foot injury.
“He didn’t do anything off the field, it wasn’t like he was riding like a snowmobile or anything like that,” Caserio had mentioned. “I’d say it was more of a medical condition or situation that we never — it really didn’t improve as much as everybody would hope. It was a freak thing, honestly, I’ve never seen it, the condition.”
In 2024, Mixon also dealt with a high ankle sprain during his first season with the Houston Texans. The injury caused him to miss three games, but he was able to return and play at a high clip. But things don’t look good currently.
Hence, Seattle has called for reinforcements. Running back Robert Henry Jr. has been signed off the Washington Commanders’ practice squad by the Seahawks, and former Baltimore Ravens running back Dontae McMillan was also signed to the practice squad.
What’s next for Joe Mixon?
The injury situation got trickier than expected, and that has put Joe Mixon in an awkward situation.
John McClain, a longtime Texans and NFL reporter, shared a strong reaction on X: “Joe Mixon is out of the Witness Protection Program. In all my decades of covering the NFL, I’ve never seen a stranger injury case. The Texans refused to talk about it. Mixon was never available. I’ve never seen a team or a player go to such lengths to refuse to disclose, to refuse to disclose an injury.”
Joe Mixon is still an unrestricted free agent, meaning he is free to sign with any NFL team.
The New Orleans Saints could also need extra running back depth after losing Travis Etienne to injured reserve with a hamstring injury. He will miss at least four games, leaving the Saints to rely more heavily on veteran Alvin Kamara, with Kendre Miller and rookie C.J. Donaldson behind him.
With Etienne unavailable, adding an experienced back like Joe Mixon could give New Orleans more depth and take some pressure off Kamara.
But all of that depends on who’s willing to take the risk. A degenerative foot problem means the injury could get worse over time. Since running backs put a lot of pressure on their feet, this could make it difficult for Mixon to play again and may cause teams to avoid signing him because of the risk.