Jaguars' Key Rival Suffers Major Loss Ahead of 2025 Season

The Jacksonville Jaguars' outlook for one of the first few games of the 2025 NFL season just got a whole lot better.

Aug 9, 2025; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen stands on the sidelines during a preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Travis Register-Imagn Images | Travis Register-Imagn Images

The Jacksonville Jaguars are hoping to be much improved in the 2025 NFL season. They were severely disappointing in pretty much every facet of the game last year, including their run defense. That's been one of the primary focuses for new defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile and Head Coach Liam Coen.

The Jaguars also brought in some new talent to help them stop opposing ball-carriers. Free agent signee Eric Murray totaled 75 combined tackles last season with the Houston Texans, including two for a loss. He should be a significant boon to Jacksonville's run defense working on the strong side. The Jaguars also recently traded for defensive tackle Khalen Saunders, adding depth and beef to their D-line.

In 2024, the team ranked 26th in rushing yards allowed, 19th in yards per carry, and 20th in touchdowns. Those figures could have been even worse if their passing defense wasn't even more of a liability. Clearly, there's plenty of room for improvement in that area.

Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon (28) spins the ball before dancing in the endzone celebrating his touchdown score during the third quarter of an NFL football matchup Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Texans held off the Jaguars 23-20. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Jaguars won't have to face Joe Mixon in Week 3 against the Houston Texans

One of the primary contributors to the Jacksonville Jaguars' poor performance in rushing defense was Houston Texans' running back Joe Mixon. He wasn't available for the teams' first clash in Week 4 of 2024, but he did plenty of damage in their second matchup.

In Week 13, Mixon carried the ball 20 times for 101 yards and a touchdown, for an impressive average of 5.1 yards per attempt. He added four catches for another 18 yards on the day. That was one of his most explosive outings of the season, finishing with 21.9 full-PPR fantasy points against Jacksonville.

Thankfully, the Jaguars won't have to see him more than once in 2025, unless Jacksonville and Houston meet in the playoffs. Ahead of the NFL's final 53-man roster cuts, the Texans announced that they're putting Mixon on the Reserve/Non-Football Injury list. Because of that move, he won't be eligible to practice or play for the team until after their fourth game of the year.

An update on RB Joe Mixon. pic.twitter.com/nUSc8DSNl5

— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) August 25, 2025

Jacksonville is scheduled to take on Houston at EverBank Stadium on September 21 for Week 3 of the 2025 campaign. Mixon being out should significantly increase the Jaguars' chances in that matchup.

Instead, the Texans will likely start with veteran Nick Chubb as their RB1 for the first stretch of the season. Chubb also burned Jacksonville for 144 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries, but he's significantly slowed down since that outing in 2020.

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