The running back position in the NFL is broken. There's no other way to say it. And Joe Mixon just became the latest victim of a league that's decided the most punishing position in football isn't worth investing in.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that the Houston Texans have released running back Joe Mixon, adding another veteran name to an already crowded market. The move saves Houston significant cap space as they retool their roster around young quarterback C.J. Stroud.
But here's what bothers me: Mixon was a centerpiece of that offense just months ago. He rushed for over 1,000 yards. He was productive. He was reliable. And now he's looking for work.
This isn't about Mixon's talent—the guy can still play. This is about how the NFL treats running backs. This is about a league that's decided paying a running back real money is a bad investment, so they'd rather churn through cheap rookies on rookie contracts than commit to veterans who've proven they can carry the load.
Think about the running backs who've been cut or let go in the past few years. Dalvin Cook. Leonard Fournette. Ezekiel Elliott. These are guys who were stars, who carried franchises, who put up numbers that would've made them legends in a different era. And now they're afterthoughts.
The NFL has become a passing league, and I get it. Quarterbacks win games. But you still need someone to run the ball. You still need someone to pick up blitzes. You still need someone to grind out tough yards on third-and-short. And yet, teams are treating the position like it's disposable.
Mixon's release is a business decision. The Texans are trying to build around Stroud, and they'd rather spend that money on the offensive line or receivers or defense. I understand the logic. But it doesn't make it any less frustrating to watch a guy who's given everything to the position get shown the door.
Now Mixon joins a running back market that's already saturated. Every team that needs a back is thinking the same thing: "Why pay a veteran when we can draft a rookie in the third round?" And so these talented, productive players sit on the market, waiting for a phone call that might never come.
The Texans are betting they can find production elsewhere. Maybe they draft a back. Maybe they sign someone for cheap. Maybe they go running-back-by-committee and hope it works out. And maybe it will—teams have won with that approach.
But at some point, we have to acknowledge what this means for the players. Running backs take the most punishment. They have the shortest careers. And now, they're also the least valued. It's a tough business, and these guys are learning the hard way that NFL loyalty only goes one direction.
Joe Mixon will land somewhere. He's too talented not to. But the fact that he's even on the market is a reminder that the running back position has been devalued to the point where even good players can't find security.
The Texans made a business decision. But for Mixon and every other running back watching this unfold, it's a reminder: in today's NFL, you're only as valuable as your last carry. And that's a damn shame.
