Joe Mixon didn’t play last season, due to an off-field injury to his foot. It’s an injury that remains a mystery.
General Manager Nick Caserio revealed the running back underwent surgery for his injury this offseason but would not elaborate on the injury.
“He didn’t do anything off the field,” Caserio told Aaron Wilson of KPRC. “It wasn’t like he was riding a snowmobile or anything like that. I would say it was more of a medical condition or situation that didn’t really improve as much as everyone would hope.
“I’m not trying to evade the question. I think that’s the reality of the situation. He didn’t jump off a building. He wasn’t cliff diving or anything like that. He wasn’t doing anything irresponsible. It was a freak thing. Honestly, I’ve never seen it. It’s just the condition.”
Caserio has had conversations with Mixon’s agent, Peter Schaffer, but the Texans are expected to release Mixon with a failed physical, per Wilson. Releasing Mixon would save the team $8.5 million.
Mixon’s future is unknown.
“I’ve said this multiple times: I’m not trying to be evasive; it’s a moving target,” Caserio said. “So, we’ll kind of see what the availability is going to be, what the prognosis is for the season, and then ultimately try to figure out what makes sense for everybody involved.”
Texans General Manager Nick Caserio did his best on Tuesday to shut down chatter about the team considering a trade involving quarterback C.J. Stroud.
Stroud is heading into his fourth NFL season and the Texans have advanced to the divisional round in each of his first three years, but Stroud performed poorly while throwing four interceptions in Houston’s playoff loss to the Patriots last month. That helped fuel talk about a possible trade that Caserio emphatically refuted while in Indianapolis for the Scouting Combine.
Caserio said, via multiple reporters, that speculation about the Texans trading Stroud is “moronic” and that the quarterback is “not going anywhere” ahead of the 2026 season.
The Texans will have choices to make about how long they want to commit themselves to Stroud this offseason. He is eligible for a contract extension, but the team could opt to exercise their option on his contract for 2027 while waiting to make moves toward a longer deal at some point in the future.
The NFL has added two current head coaches to the league’s Competition Committee.
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell and Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans are the new additions to the group. Former Bills head coach Sean McDermott is no longer on the 11-person committee.
Broncos head coach Sean Payton and Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel also joined the group this year. Former Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and former Dolphins General Manager Chris Grier joined McDermott in leaving the group.
The committee, which is co-chaired by former Falcons CEO Rich McKay and Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones, reviews all competitive aspects of the game. That includes playing rules and they will meet before the Combine to begin determining any potential changes to present to league ownership for a vote at league meetings later in the offseason.
The other current members of the committee are Bengals executive vice president Katie Blackburn, Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles, 49ers General Manager John Lynch, Giants co-owner John Mara, and Rams head coach Sean McVay.
The Browns have narrowed their search for a new defensive coordinator to replace Jim Schwartz.
Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reports that the Browns are choosing among Texans passing game coordinator Cory Undlin, Browns linebackers coach Jason Tarver and Falcons passing game coordinator Mike Rutenberg.
Undlin and Rutenberg interviewed in person this weekend.
Undlin and Tarver have NFL coordinator experience, and both coaches have extensive experience working under Schwartz. That would allow the Browns to keep a successful system in place.
Undlin served as defensive coordinator of the Lions in 2020, and Tarver was defensive coordinator of the Raiders from 2012-14.
Tarver has worked as the Browns’ linebackers coach the past six seasons, including the past three under Schwartz, and Undlin worked under Schwartz from 2016-19 in Philadelphia. Undlin has spent the past three seasons as the Texans’ passing game coordinator.
Rutenberg became the Falcons’ defensive pass game coordinator in 2025 after four seasons as linebackers coach for the Jets.
The Browns are getting closer to finding their defensive coordinator.
Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reports that they are interviewing a pair of candidates in person this weekend. Texans defensive pass game coordinator Cory Undlin and Falcons defensive pass game coordinator Mike Rutenberg have advanced to this round of the search.
Undlin has worked for the Texans since 2023 and was the secondary coach for the 49ers for two years before moving to Houston. He spent the 2020 season as the Lions’ defensive coordinator.
Rutenberg moved to Atlanta for the 2025 season and worked under Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich for four seasons as the linebackers coach with the Jets.
