The Houston Texans pulled off a trade less than a day after reports stating Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon would be released. Instead, he’ll now line up in a backfield with second-year quarterback C.J. Stroud.
Plot twist: The #Bengals are now trading Joe Mixon to the #Texans, rather than releasing him, sources say.
So Zack Moss signs in Cincy, Mixon is traded to Houston. From Joe Burrow to CJ Stroud. pic.twitter.com/TG0G3JMGMp
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 12, 2024
As mentioned in the response to Zack Moss agreeing to join the Bengals, Mixon has struggled with efficiency the last few years, but his rate of scoring touchdowns has dramatically improved. Nearly 28 years old, with considerable mileage on his odometer, Mixon is clearly entering the twilight of his career. Houston, which feels it is poised to win not only now but well into the future, chose a stable veteran after a one-year stint with Devin Singletary, who left for the New York Giants in free agency.
From a real-life perspective, Mixon’s veteran presence, penchant for scoring touchdowns in the red zone, pass-protection skills, and versatility will do wonders to help balance out the offense. He’s no spring chicken and lacks the burst for long-range chunk plays, which the Texans can offset during the draft or a still-deep pool of remaining free agents.
Fantasy football outlook
The fake football view puts Mixon in the range of being a high-end No. 3 and a midrange No. 2, provided he can stay healthy. The Texans, for all of last year’s impressive play, are still a young, developing offense, particularly at wide receiver. Look for ample checkdown plays to pad his receiving stats and a respectable ratio of rushing TDs to attempts, but the lack of yardage output most weeks will position Mixon to be dependent on finding the end zone to make a difference in a fantasy lineup.
