Who Should I Start? Duke Johnson or Joe Mixon

Sunday, May 5, 1:51 PM

Running back Duke Johnson announced his retirement from professional football on Sunday. Johnson was originally taken in the third round (77th overall) by the Cleveland Browns in the 2015 NFL draft out of Miami. He spent the first four seasons of his NFL career with the Browns before spending two years with the Houston Texans. Johnson played for the Miami Dolphins in 2021 and the Buffalo Bills in the final year of his career in 2022. The 30-year-old wraps up his career having recorded 2,265 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns on 532 carries, adding 311 catches on 405 targets for 2,870 yards and an additional 12 touchdowns in 97 games (21 starts) covering eight seasons. Johnson had a career-high 410 rushing yards on 83 attempts in his first year in Houston in 2019.

Tuesday, October 7, 11:41 AM

Houston Texans general manager Nick Caserio said the team will have clarity on running back Joe Mixon's (foot/ankle) health status for the "duration of the year" at some point "over the next few weeks." Mixon has not played yet in 2025, and the team has provided little to no information about a possible return timeline. It seems possible, if not likely, that the 29-year-old will miss the entirety of the season. If that's the case, Houston will likely continue splitting backfield work between veteran Nick Chubb and rookie Woody Marks. Chubb has recorded 58 carries for 249 yards and two touchdowns so far this season. Marks has logged 233 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns on 42 total touches, and could eventually work his way into the lead role over the course of the season.