Who Should I Start? Joe Mixon or Isiah Pacheco

Monday, December 29, 1:56 PM

Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon (foot, ankle) will not return this season, league sources told Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Sports. The expectation all along has been that Mixon would not return at all in 2025, but now it's official. The Texans haven't released many details on the nature of Mixon's foot/ankle injury, but we know that he hasn't played since back in the spring. The 29-year-old remains on the Non-Football Injury list. At this point, it's fair to wonder if he'll be effective at all if he's able to make it back and play in 2026. The Texans will continue to move forward with rookie Woody Marks as their primary ball-carrier, with veteran Nick Chubb and rookie Jawhar Jordan backing him up heading into the Week 18 regular-season finale against the division-rival Indianapolis Colts.

Sunday, January 4, 3:12 PM

Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco (rest) is officially inactive for Sunday's Week 18 contest against the Las Vegas Raiders. Pacheco had been listed as questionable after practicing in a limited capacity this past week. His reduced workload in practice was not injury-related, as the Chiefs allowed him to rest because they had already been eliminated from playoff contention. Kareem Hunt is active on Sunday afternoon and should operate as the primary running back in this Chris Oladokun-led offense. We also wouldn't be surprised to see rookie Brashard Smith earn more snaps if Kansas City wants to evaluate his role and viability for the 2026 campaign.