Joe Mixon won’t be suiting up in green and blue, Seattle. The Seahawks decided *not* to sign the former Houston Texans Pro Bowl running back after he failed his team physical on Tuesday morning, leaving our backfield situation as murky as ever. This news hits hard when you consider what our ground game is already battling.
The “I’m Back, Baby!” That Fell Flat
Remember that video? Mixon, looking like he was ready to roll, shouting “I’m back, baby!” after a workout? That’s what prompted the Seahawks to invite him in, hoping for a spark. But it turns out, the physical didn’t back up the bravado. This dude, who is 30 years old, missed all of 2025 due to a foot injury, spending the entire season on the Texans’ non-football injury list. Houston eventually released him in March, moving on to David Montgomery. It’s a tough break, especially after he *did* have a Pro Bowl season for the Texans in his lone year there, rushing for 1,016 yards and 11 touchdowns, becoming the first Texans running back since Carlos Hyde in 2019 to hit that 1,000-yard mark. But it looks like that foot issue is still a major problem. For all of 2025, Texans coach DeMeco Ryans and general manager Nick Caserio were super tight-lipped about Mixon’s condition, giving us vague “progressing” or “no update” comments. Now we know why.
Our Backfield Is Still a MASH Unit
This failed physical stings even more because our own running back room is already severely depleted. We’ve been missing our top two running backs for most of the past two weeks, which is just brutal. First-round pick Jadarian Price is out for at least three games after getting placed on injured reserve with a chest injury before Week 4. And Zach Charbonnet? He’s still stuck on the physically unable to perform list, desperately trying to return from an ACL tear he suffered in last season’s postseason run. So, the hope that Mixon could be an immediate boost, a body that could just come in and eat some carries, is gone. It just feels like another hurdle for an offense that needs all the help it can get on the ground right now.
What’s Next for the Emerald City?
Look, it’s frustrating, but we’ve got to keep moving forward. Despite the ongoing struggles with our run game and the Mixon news, this team still finds ways to win. We just took down the Los Angeles Chargers with a 30-23 final score, showing that grit we all love to see. It’s not always pretty, but it’s effective. Now, the focus shifts even harder to who we *do* have in the backfield and how offensive coordinator Brian Fleury plans to scheme around these injuries. We’re going to need Sam Darnold and those electric receivers like Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Rashid Shaheed, and Cooper Kupp to keep making plays. It’s never a dull moment in the Emerald City, and you know the 12s will be loud and ready to back our Hawks, no matter what.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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