Joe Mixon was not signing a big contract. He was signing with a practice squad. He could not get through the physical.
Seattle head coach Mike Macdonald said Monday the Seahawks were “going through the process” of adding Mixon to their practice squad. By Tuesday, Adam Schefter reported the team had decided against it after Mixon took his physical. No reason was given. None really needs to be.
The Numbers Say He Should Still Be Playing
Mixon is 30 years old with 7,428 career rushing yards, 2,448 receiving yards and 74 total touchdowns. He has five 1,000-yard seasons and two Pro Bowls. Cincinnati drafted him in the second round in 2017, and he put up 6,412 rushing yards and 49 scores across seven years there.
His last real season was 2024 in Houston: 1,016 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns in 14 games, plus 36 catches for 309 yards. That is a starting running back. That is not a guy who should be trying to catch on below the 53.
The Injury Nobody Will Name
Here is where it gets strange. Mixon missed OTAs and minicamp in 2025, went on the reserve/non-football injury list on July 23, and was ruled out for the entire season in late November. Houston released him in March 2026 with a year and $10.5 million left on his deal.
Texans general manager Nick Caserio has never put a name on the condition. He called it “probably the most unique injury I’ve been associated with” and “kind of a freak thing.” Reporting has used “foot,” “foot and ankle” and “medical condition” interchangeably. No source has confirmed a specific diagnosis, and no one has reported an arrest, a suspension or any off-field issue. This is purely medical.
Seattle Had a Real Need and Still Walked Away
That is the part that should worry anyone rooting for a comeback. The Seahawks were not kicking tires out of boredom. First-round rookie running back Jadarian Price landed on injured reserve with a chest injury two days before the Mixon news broke, and Zach Charbonnet is working through a 21-day return window off PUP.
Seattle needed a body. It looked at Mixon, examined him, and signed rookie Robert Henry Jr. off Washington’s practice squad instead. The rest of the room is Emanuel Wilson, George Holani and Velus Jones.
What Happens Now
Mixon has not announced a retirement and has not spoken publicly about this. He has also not played a snap since the end of the 2024 season, and no team has signed him since March.
Running backs do not get a lot of second chances at 30 with a medical file nobody will describe out loud. A team that wanted him enough to announce the process in a press conference backed out two days later. That is not a market signal you can spin.
I hope he plays again. I would not bet on it.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.