Joe Mixon Mulls Retirement Amid Rumors: A Look Back on His Fantasy Football Stardom

Reports claim that Joe Mixon will retire from the NFL due to avascular necrosis.

Feb 1, 2025; Orlando, FL, USA; Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon (28) during AFC Practice for the Pro Bowl Games at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

It appears that Joe Mixon might be headed to retirement. The running back has reportedly been telling people he will no longer play football. It is largely due to a foot-and-ankle-related injury. Compounded with a body that has endured a 9-year NFL career, Mixon may be a thing of the past.

Mixon last played for the Houston Texans in 2024. He was on the roster in 2025, but never played a down of football. His career spans 111 games played with 7,428 rushing yards and 60 touchdowns. Mixon had five 1,000-yard seasons. He twice scored double-digit touchdowns, including doing so in 2024.

The best fantasy football season of Mixon's came in 2021 when he finished as the RB3 in standard-scoring formats and the RB4 in PPR. Excluding injury-plagued seasons, Mixon averaged to be the RB12 in standard and RB13 in PPR-scoring formats.

The rumored retirement of Mixon does not affect the world of fantasy football all that much. He remains un-rostered ahead of the 2026 NFL season. The Texans team he was a part of over the past two seasons runs out a fresh cast of David Montgomery, Woody Marks, and Jawhar Jordan. Click here to view our Standard-League Projections.

Why Mixon May Be Retiring

The downfall of Mixon's career began prior to the 2025 NFL season. The running back suffered an undisclosed injury. Some fans speculate he dropped a weight on his foot, but we emphasize that there is no cause stated to date.

The incident led to a foot and ankle condition that kept Mixon from playing football in any capacity a season ago.

It is commonly stated that Mixon may be dealing with avascular necrosis, as stated by Jeff Mueller, PT, DPT, on X.

The condition that Mixon reportedly suffers from has to do with a lack of blood flow to the bone tissue. The condition is literally stated as "a bone that is dying."

To heal 100% is seemingly impossible. Reaching peak football performance is highly unlikely, and thus Mixon claims his career is over.

While Mixon certainly is not a Hall of Fame candidate, he does go down among the NFL and fantasy football's top running backs over the past decade. He ranks 3rd on the Bengals All-Time Rushing List, just 35 yards behind James Brooks. Corey Dillon is 1st on that list with just north of 8,000 rushing yards.