The Seahawks, who are thin at running back, brought Joe Mixon to town for a workout on Monday. It seemed to be working out, until it wasn’t.
The team ultimately didn’t proceed with signing him to the practice squad, based ostensibly on his physical.
Coach Mike Macdonald was asked about the decision not to sign Mixon during Macdonald’s Wednesday press conference.
“Didn’t work out,” Macdonald said. “Probably the most we should say about it with respect to the process. Those things happen and it’s a part of the process.”
Mixon’s health continues to be shrouded in mystery. He was on the Texans’ non-football injury list for all of the 2025 season. There was never a clear answer as to what the problem was.
And so Mixon continues to be a free agent, available to sign with any team. And there are teams (like the Eagles) that need help at the position.
Texans Clips
Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans is taking back defensive play-calling duties, he told reporters in his Wednesday press conference.
With Houston starting the season 0-4, Ryans will once again handle play-calling after relinquishing it last year to defensive coordinator Matt Burke.
But while the club finished No. 1 in scoring defense and No. 2 in yards allowed last year, the Texans are No. 20 in yards allowed and No. 26 in points allowed through the first four weeks.
Communication issues have been cited, which is part of what Ryans wants to solve by taking back the play-calling duties. He had held them for the first two-plus years of his head coaching tenure until Burke took over in September of last season.
“It all starts with me. If there’s a lack in communication, I look at myself first,” Ryans said in his press conference. “It starts with me and making sure I’m a better communicator. So just to help spark things more, I’m going to take over the play-calling for the defense and I’m going to make sure that communication is right. If our guys are saying communication is not right, then, ultimately, it falls on me. So, it’s on me to get it fixed.
“No slight against coach Burke, he’s done an outstanding job. Just want to make sure I can streamline communication in the best way possible so that isn’t the theme when I stand up here the next time I see you guys and talking about communication.”
How will things be different with Ryans calling it instead of Burke?
“We’ll see. I’m just looking for something to change,” Ryans said. “Right now, we haven’t done great the first four games, defensively, when it’s been on guys to close the game out. And it’s, man, can we spark a little change? Matt has done a good job. We’re not overhauling the defense, just trying to spark some change.”
Ryans called it a “tough decision,” but acknowledged it was one he wanted to make for the best interest of the team.
“I’m not in this role to please a lot of people’s opinion, I have to do what’s best for this team and make sure I’m leading in that way,” Ryans said. “Unfortunately, everybody isn’t happy when you make changes. When you make decisions from my chair, everybody isn’t happy. And that’s OK, because I know everything I try to do and strive to do is for the men in that locker room, to give those guys as best a chance possible to go out and win our first football game.”
While defensive play-calling has been a major part of Ryans’ coaching career, he noted he’s not necessarily excited just to be doing it again.
“It’s not about me at all. It’s about our team and how can I best help the players,” Ryans said. “That’s the reason why I’m doing this. It has nothing to do with me.”
We’ll see if Ryans taking over has an effect when the Texans face the Titans on the road in Week 5.
Wide receiver Tank Dell is back on the practice field in Houston.
Head coach DeMeco Ryans said he expected Dell to begin the process of coming off of injured reserve this week and the team formally designated him for return on Wednesday. Defensive tackle Kayden McDonald and offensive tackle Braden Smith joined Dell in receiving that designation.
Dell has not played since suffering a severe knee injury late in the 2024 season. He had 98 catches for 1,376 yards and 10 touchdowns over his first two seasons.
McDonald was a second-round pick this year and has been out with an ankle injury. Smith has been sidelined by a foot injury.
The Texans added a quarterback to the active roster on Wednesday.
Mark Gronowski was signed off of the team’s practice squad. They had an open roster spot, so there was no other move needed to get him on the roster.
Gronowski signed to the team’s practice squad in September, but was waived later in the month. He initially signed with the Dolphins after going undrafted out of Iowa earlier this year.
Gronowski began his college career at South Dakota State and led them to a pair of FCS national titles. He was also given the Walter Payton Award as the FCS player of the year in 2023.
C.J. Stroud and Davis Mills are the other quarterbacks on the roster in Houston.
The Eagles are making a move to bolster their ailing running back group.
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reports that they will sign Dameon Pierce to the active roster from the practice squad.
Pierce signed with the Eagles in March and returned to the practice squad after being released at the end of the summer. He had four carries for 10 yards in one game for the Chiefs and 10 carries for 26 yards in four games for the Texans last year. He also spent the previous three seasons with the Texans and had 415 carries for 1,674 yards and eight touchdowns over his entire run in Houston.
Saquon Barkley and Tank Bigsby both left last Sunday’s loss to the Rams with injuries. Barkley hurt his hamstring and is questionable for the near future while Bigsby suffered a core muscle injury that requires surgery.
The Texans blocked a Cowboys field goal attempt on Sunday, a week after the Ravens blocked a Cowboys field goal attempt. Texans coach DeMeco Ryans says the Ravens provided the blueprint.
Ryans said on the Texans’ YouTube show that the Texans figured out how they could block a Cowboys field goal by watching film of the Ravens doing it. The Texans did the same thing and found that the Cowboys hadn’t fixed their protection breakdown.
“During the film study you definitely saw a breakdown in the protection. You’ve seen it consistently. That’s how you study film,” Ryans said. “You look for those weaknesses, how you can exploit a team. We saw a weakness there in the C and D gap area.”
Ryans said any time he sees film that shows the next opponent has a fundamental flaw in its protection, he’s eager to see if they’ve fixed that flaw. The Cowboys hadn’t fixed it.
“We were able to show that kick from the Baltimore game, how they were able to block it, and we’re gonna design a plan similar to that to see if they fixed it. That’s what all teams do. If you see a breakdown, see if they fixed it the next week,” Ryans said.
It doesn’t speak well for the Cowboys’ coaching staff that the same flaw was there for two consecutive opponents to exploit. It’s safe to say the Buccaneers will be trying to exploit the same flaw when they face the Cowboys on Thursday night.
The Texans placed cornerback Jaylin Smith on injured reserve Tuesday, the team announced.
Smith injured his hamstring while blocking on punt coverage in Sunday’s loss to the Cowboys.
A third-round pick in 2025, Smith played all four games this season and totaled two tackles. He played seven snaps on defense and 76 on special teams.
He saw action on 31 defensive snaps and 78 on special teams in four games as a rookie.
The Texans also announced they released wide receiver Treyvhon Saunders from the practice squad.
The Jaguars are poaching a defensive back from a division rival.
Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Jacksonville has signed cornerback Alijah Huzzie to its 53-man roster off of Houston’s practice squad.
Huzzie, 25, signed with the Texans as an undrafted free agent last year, spending most of the season on the practice squad. He appeared in two games, recording an interception and four total tackles.
Huzzie has not yet appeared in a game this season.
The Jaguars will be in London in Week 5 and Week 6, facing the Eagles and Texans, respectively.
Joe Mixon’s return to the NFL is back on hold.
The veteran running back worked out for the Seahawks and head coach Mike Macdonald said on Monday that the team was “going through the process” of signing him to their practice squad. They have reportedly changed course before the process reached the finish line, however.
Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that the Seahawks opted not to move forward with the deal after Mixon took a physical with the team. There’s no word on what issue led to the change of plans in Seattle.
Mixon missed all of last season with a foot injury. He had five 1,000-yard seasons with the Bengals and Texans over eight years in the league.
Rookie Jadarian Price is on injured reserve, which leaves Emanuel Wilson, George Holani, and Velus Jones as the backs on their 53-man roster. There has also been word that they will sign Robert Henry off of the Commanders’ practice squad, but the deal has not been officially announced.
The Seahawks are signing running back Joe Mixon to their practice squad.
Coach Mike Macdonald confirmed the Seahawks worked out Mixon on Monday and are “going through the process” of getting him on the practice squad.
The Seahawks placed Jadarian Price on injured reserve last week, and Zach Charbonnet had his 21-day return-to-practice window opened last week after an ACL tear in the playoffs ended his 2025 season. George Holani, Emanuel Wilson and Velus Jones Jr. are the running backs on the active roster.
Mixon has not played since January 2025, missing all of last season with a foot injury. The Texans released him in March.
In 2024, Mixon rushed for 1,016 yards and 11 touchdowns, earning Pro Bowl honors in his first season with the Texans.
A second-round pick of the Bengals in 2017, Mixon has 7,428 rushing yards and five 1,000-yard seasons. He spent his first seven seasons with the Bengals.
