Overview
- Thursday reporting by Texans insider Aaron Wilson and other outlets said Mixon told several former Cincinnati Bengals teammates he believes his playing career is over and that he recently underwent another surgery on his foot.
- Mixon has not publicly filed retirement papers and remained an unsigned free agent after the Houston Texans released him on March 6 with a non-football injury designation at his own request.
- He missed the entire 2025 season after the Texans placed him on the reserve/non-football injury list for an unusual foot and leg problem that GM Nick Caserio called a "freak" medical situation and said required surgery during the lost year.
- Houston cleared roster and cap space by releasing Mixon and then added David Montgomery in a trade, and no team signed Mixon before training camps opened, reflecting a quiet free-agent market tied to medical uncertainty.
- Mixon leaves a productive on-field record, including a Pro Bowl season in 2024, and if he formally retires the move would mark an abrupt, health-driven end to a near-decade NFL career and prompt attention to how teams evaluate veteran running backs with complex medical issues.