For the first time in his career, Nick Chubb will represent a franchise other than the Cleveland Browns. The veteran running back officially signed with the Houston Texans roughly 24 hours after multiple reports connected him to the two-time defending AFC South champions. Yet, his new team already employs a workhorse in Joe Mixon, raising questions about how their backfield split will be divided.
Houston acquired Mixon from the Cincinnati Bengals in a salary dump trade last offseason, and he was a revelation for them in 2024. However, Chubb's arrival indicates the Texans are at least open to the idea of getting other runners involved. They just sorely lacked the personnel to do so — until now.
Joe Mixon’s role as the Texans' featured RB is in question with Nick Chubb in the fold
Even in his diminished state, Chubb is an upgrade to Mixon's understudies from last season. Dameon Pierce and Cam Akers formed a plodding backup tandem, and Dare Ogunbowale is primarily a third-down pass-catching specialist. The ex-Brown gives Houston much-needed depth at arguably the most physically taxing position in football.
Mixon's production notably declined throughout his inaugural campaign in Houston. He averaged 4.8 yards per attempt (Y/A) from Weeks 1-9 and cleared the century mark in five of his first six games. From Weeks 10-18, though, the rising ninth-year back posted 3.4 Y/A and exceeded 100 rushing yards in only two contests.
A controversial hip-drop tackle derailed Mixon, resulting in a high right ankle sprain that sidelined him for three games as a result — an injury he continued to reaggravate even after returning to the lineup. The issue hampered his effectiveness, and the numbers bear that out. Houston ostensibly wants to preserve the aging bellcow's body by taking some of the load off him, hence the Chubb addition.
It appears that Mixon isn't back to full strength just yet, considering he hasn't been practicing and was recently spotted in a walking boot. Intel oddly didn't specify if the boot was on his right or left foot, though KPRC 2's Aaron Wilson deemed it a "minor" concern. Nonetheless, Chubb joining the Texans suggests otherwise.
For whatever it's worth, Mixon has since shed the boot. But alas, Wilson notes that he's "still dealing with foot-ankle issues." The uncertainty of it all and the timing of the Chubb news paint an ominous picture.
Ultimately, the Texans are much more invested in Mixon than Chubb. They expressed faith in the former by signing him to a three-year, $25.5 million pact shortly (including $16 million guaranteed) following the swap with Cincy. Knowing this, we expect Houston to treat them as more of a 1-2 punch than a 1A-1B tandem, assuming health doesn't complicate matters.