Texans Poised to Cut Joe Mixon, Freeing $8 Million Cap Space in Surprise Offseason Shake-Up

Running back Joe Mixon’s tenure with the Houston Texans appears to be on the brink after a turbulent 12-month stretch that included a season-ending foot injury and a series of front-office moves that reshaped the club’s backfield. The first—and loudest—alarm sounded when Houston traded a 2027 fourth-round pick for former Bears star David Montgomery, a deal that immediately pushed Mixon’s role into question. Montgomery’s contract carries $18.25 million in guarantees, signaling that general manager Nick Caserio expects the newcomer to be more than a rotational piece. Mixon, 29, is due an $8.2 million non-guaranteed base salary in 2026 with a $10.2 million cap hit. Releasing him would free roughly $8 million while leaving just $2 million in dead money—an attractive figure for a team still building around quarterback C.J. Stroud. Multiple team insiders have already labeled Mixon a “cap-cut candidate,” especially after he missed the entire 2025 season and has yet to receive medical clearance for full football activities. Caserio has kept his cards close to the vest, saying only that Mixon’s rehab is “progressing” but refusing to commit to the former Pro Bowler’s roster spot. Behind the scenes, Houston’s staff is reportedly bracing for life without him; one league source told Texans Wire that “both sides understand a split is coming” unless Mixon agrees to a steep pay cut. For Mixon, timing couldn’t be worse. The free-agent market is projected to be saturated with mid-tier veterans, and incoming rookies like Oklahoma’s Trevon Clayton could further depress prices. Still, a healthy Mixon offers a résumé that includes four 1,000-yard campaigns and elite third-down skills; he averaged 51 receptions per season from 2021-24, ranking sixth among running backs. Teams such as the Panthers, who employed offensive coordinator Dave Canales during Mixon’s 2022 breakout, are monitoring his status, league sources said. Fantasy-football managers should keep a close eye on Houston’s March 18th roster-bonus deadline. If Mixon is cut before that date, Montgomery’s value spikes into low-end RB1 territory, while rookie depth options Dameon Pierce and Devon Achane would battle for complementary touches. Should the Texans instead negotiate a restructure, Mixon could emerge as the pass-catching half of a committee—albeit one with limited ceiling in OC Bobby Slowik’s zone-heavy scheme. Bottom line: barring a surprising pay-cut agreement, the Texans are poised to sever ties with Joe Mixon, allowing the veteran a chance to reboot his career elsewhere while Houston fully commits to David Montgomery as Stroud’s primary backfield partner.