3 Texans Players Who Could Be Salary Cap Casualties

The Houston Texans currently sit $1.4 million over the NFL salary cap heading into the 2026 offseason. That leaves the front office a bit of work to do in order to expand their financial flexibility heading into free agency.

To do that, the Texans may have to look towards a few salary cap casualties around the roster that could benefit them financially to cut ties, and therefore save a few million dollars against the cap to better build this group up on both sides of the ball.

Every team is faced with those decisions in any given offseason. And for the Texans, they have three clear candidates on the roster who could be prime cap casualties in the coming weeks.

Here's who could be on cut watch in H-Town:

Joe Mixon, RB

Nov 18, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon (28) celebrates with Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) after scoring a touchdown during the first quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Depending on where Joe Mixon stands in terms of his health for next season, there's a real chance the Texans decide to cut ties with their veteran running back in the coming months, as they would save a heck of a lot of money by doing so.

If Mixon is cut from the Texans' roster before or after June 1st, the team would incur a dead cap hit of $2 million, but also save $8 million against the cap. It's the most money Houston can save within a single cut on the roster this offseason, and becomes an obvious move to be made if he's either not ready to go for 2026, or the front office wants to go in a different direction within the backfield entirely.

Mixon was a productive runner for the Texans the last time he was on the field. He had over 1,000 rushing yards and 12 total touchdowns for the third time in his career back in 2024, and was a welcomed spark for Houston's offensive behind C.J. Stroud.

But, the elephant in the room is that Mixon hasn't touched a football field since January of 2025. He was out for the entire 2025-26 NFL campaign with a mysterious foot injury that general manager Nick Caserio attributed to a "freak medical condition," and hasn't provided much clarity on his status moving into next season.

There's a chance he's not ready to go at all for 2026. And if the Texans don't have confidence in Mixon's ability to return to his previous form, they may want to save that money against the cap rather than invest in his $10 million total cap hit.

Mario Edwards Jr., DE

Dec 7, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Houston Texans defensive tackle Mario Edwards Jr. (97) commits a face mask penalty against Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) during the second quarter at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Mario Edwards' latest campaign with the Texans would be cut short after Week 15, as the veteran defensive end would go down with a torn pectoral that would inevitably sideline him for the rest of the year. He finished his second season in Houston playing 14 games, logging 13 tackles and 1.5 sacks.

But there's a chance that he might've actually played his last game with the franchise as well, simply due to the financial implications in play if Houston were to cut him.

While the Texans would incur a dead cap hit of $1 million, they'd also receive $4.4 million in cap savings if they were to cut Edwards Jr.; the second-highest net savings Houston would receive in a single roster cut before June 1st, and sticks out as an easy way for the team to save a few bucks on their total cap hit before embarking on their free agency process.

Jarrett Patterson, C

Jul 23, 2025; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans center/guard Jarrett Patterson (54) during training camp at Houston Methodist Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

It wouldn't make much financial sense for the Texans to bring back center Jarrett Patterson on his current deal for the 2026 season, who's slated to have a cap hit upwards of $3.6 million, while Houston could wind up netting $3.6 million in cap savings in the event they were to cut him before June 1st.

Patterson has been with the Texans for the past three years to bring depth to their interior offensive line, but has only started 14 games across the last two seasons, started in just five throughout the 2025 campaign, and was phased out of their starting five-man front as Jake Andrews would be Houston's starting center down the second half stretch of the year.

Considering the Texans will be looking to shave down their total cap number in the best ways they can this summer to free up that financial flexibility, Patterson will be a clear-cut candidate that can save over $3 million on the books for money that can be better invested elsewhere on the roster.

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