Joe Mixon is currently sidelined due to an ankle injury and was placed on the Texans' reserve/non-football injury (NFI) list at the end of August 2025. This designation means he will miss at least the first four games of the season. The earliest Mixon could possibly return to play would be in Week 5, when the Texans are scheduled to play against the Baltimore Ravens on October 5, 2025. However, a more realistic return date is likely Week 7, after the team's Week 6 bye, due to a lack of reports of him practicing or rehabbing publicly. Texans officials and Mixon's coaches have been noncommittal and cautious about his return, with no guarantees that he will play at all in the 2025 season, and he has missed all offseason training and preseason games. His status remains uncertain, and no firm return timeline is currently available.