The Texans are keeping their new running back in the fold at least for a few more years.
Houston and Joe Mixon agreed to a three-year, $27 million contract extension after he was traded to the Texans from the Bengals earlier in the week, according to ESPN’s NFL insider Adam Schefter.
The deal includes $13 million in guaranteed money, Schefter added.
Though Mixon, 27, did not actually hit the free agent market this offseason, he does get an extension (at $9 million average annual value) just under what the top running backs have gotten this offseason after Saquon Barkley inked a three-year deal ($12.58 million AAV) with the Eagles and Josh Jacobs signed with the Packers for four years ($12 million AAV).
While the Bengals had initially planned to cut Mixon this week after agreeing to a deal with running back Zack Moss, the team instead traded him to the Texans.
Houston is reportedly sending back a seventh-round draft pick in return to Cincinnati.
“For me, it was definitely shocking,” Mixon said of the trade while talking to reporters on Thursday. “I took that 24 to 48 hours to hurt. It took a, it took a while and I’m still having emotional feelings about it. That’s the place [Cincinnati] where I could forever feel like that’s home for me and I’m just very grateful that the fans, they embraced me the way that they did.”
Mixon also said he’s excited for his new team in Houston and thinks the club has potential for great things after making it to the second round of the postseason this past year after a brilliant season from Rookie of the year quarterback C.J. Stroud.
Mixon, a second-round pick in 2017, has recorded four seasons of 1,000-plus rushing yards since entering the league, most recently gaining 1,034 yards with nine touchdowns on the ground in 2023.