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Was Joe Mixon shot in the foot? Texans GM debunks rumors on RB's ‘freak’ accident
Rumors claimed Texans RB Joe Mixon shot himself, but GM Nick Caserio said it was a freak medical accident, not off-field behavior.
A rumor has been circulating about Joe Mixon, the Houston Texans running back, as he missed the entire 2025-2026 NFL season with a foot injury. The rumors claim that Mixon, who did not feature for the Texans at all this season, accidentally shot himself in the foot. Even as the rumors remain unverified, Texans GM Nick Caserio provided an update on Mixon Wednesday.
Caserio, speaking to reporters, said that Joe Mixon suffered a "freak accident." Caserio did not clarify what the nature of the accident was or what happened to Mixon's foot, but said that the accident was not because of a fault of Mixon.
“He didn’t do anything off the field, it wasn’t like he was riding a snowmobile or anything like that,” the Texans GM said, clarifying doubts that the accident involving Mixon's foot was most likely not an accidental shooting.
“I’d say it was more just a medical condition or situation that really didn’t improve as much as everybody hoped," he continued. "I’m not trying to evade the question but that’s the reality of the situation.
He didn’t jump off a building, he wasn’t cliff diving or anything like that, he wasn’t doing anything irresponsible, it was just a freak thing. Honestly, I’ve never seen it.”
Nonetheless, the rumors that the 29-year-old may have shot himself in the foot continued unabated despite there being no reports of a shooting involving Mixon. For instance, here's a viral post:
The 2025-26 season for the Houston Texans ended with a defeat to the New England Patriots in the Divisional Round. Though it means that the Texans do not have any more games in this season, the vague nature of responses from the Texans admin regarding Mixon's injury has cast doubts on whether he could be back in the 2026-27 NFL season.
In the 2024-25 season, Mixon was a standout carrier for the Texans, with 245 total carries for 1,016 yards along with two touchdowns.
What We Know About Joe Mixon's Injury
Joe Mixon himself hasn’t said much directly about the nature of his 2025 foot injury. However, he did respond to an X post speculating about his injury, saying: “Now, I get everyone’s looking for splash news & clickbait… but I’m just curious, Ian how do you know more about me than me?”
As of now, the Texans have not provided details on the nature of the injury or his recovery time. Head Coach DeMeco Ryans said Monday that Mixon's status for the 2026 season is uncertain at the moment amid the "freak" injury to.
Caserio also reinforced the uncertainty about when Mixon could be back. “We’ll see,” he said. “I’m not smart enough to be a doctor, so I’ll leave that to the medical experts.”
