Joe Mixon’s status for Week 4? Let’s just say, Texans fans are sweating this one. With the Jags looming and Houston’s ground game in shambles, the situation’s looking pretty wobbly. 

NFL insider Jordan Schultz dropped the bombshell on X: “#Texans RB Mixon will be OUT today vs. the Jaguars. Mixon tested it this morning, and while he’s feeling better, everyone agreed to take the safe route and give him another week.” Despite making progress with that nagging ankle injury, Mixon and the Texans are taking no chances. Better safe than sorry.  

And if that wasn’t enough to set the record straight, fellow insider Aaron Wilson doubled down, tweeting that the star RB was indeed ruled out after testing the ankle during Friday’s practice. “Texans rule out running back Joe Mixon per league source. He returned to practice Friday and looked good in first practice since sprained ankle. Outlook for next week is good,” Wilson’s tweet read. 

The Texans desperately need their star back in action. After all, their rushing game without him last week was, well, ugly. They only managed 38 yards on-ground at a paltry 2.7 yards per carry. Now, that? That’s a far cry from what the Oklahoma standout produced in Week 1 (159 rushing yards and a touchdown on 30 carries). 

So, why is Mixon sitting this one out? The veteran RB suffered a sprained ankle in Week 2 (thanks to a hip-drop tackle from Bears LB T.J. Edwards), which forced him to miss Week 3’s loss. He’s made progress since then but wasn’t ready to practice until Friday. Houston elevated J.J. Taylor from the practice squad—a clear sign the Pro Bowl RB was unlikely to play. Dameon Pierce’s also out, so there’s only one player left who could step up as RB1 for Houston once again.

But here’s the kicker: The Texans have high hopes for Joe Mixon’s return in Week 5. After looking sharp in practice, his long-term outlook’s good, even if today’s a no-go. Given how Jacksonville’s D has been performing (they’re allowing only 4 yards per carry), rushing back a not-quite-100% Mixon just wasn’t worth the risk. 

For fantasy footballers, don’t count on the 28-year-old racking up points this week. But week 5? Fingers crossed.

With Mixon out, it’ll be up to the former Rams’ RB to carry the load. 

With Joe Mixon out, who’s the next man up?

Cam Akers is the man up. Having been traded from the Rams, the Seminoles’ product had a quiet debut against Minnesota, managing just 21 yards on nine carries—before the Texans scrapped the run game (thanks to an early beatdown!) 

Next up is Dare Ogunbowale. He didn’t see any carries in Week 3 but snagged a few catches for 28 yards. If Houston wants to kick it into high gear in the pass game, Ogunbowale can help, but counting on him for ground action? Not the smartest move.

Then there’s J.J. Taylor. He had one carry and three touches last week, but with Mixon and Pierce out, he might get some snaps. Don’t expect too much, though; he’s still a long shot for significant work unless things go south.

Bottom line: Houston’s RB room is patchwork right now, and they’ll need everyone to step up to fill the Joe Mixon-sized void.