Dare Ogunbowale

After previously being non-committal on Joe Mixon's return from injury this season, Texans general manager Nick Caserio said Tuesday his running back — while progressing — needs another month before a decision is made on his availability while on the Reserve/Non-Football Injury list.

"He's making progress, so we won't put a particular timetable on it, so I think over the next few three or four weeks, we'll probably get a little more information here, kind of see how he's progressing," Caserio said. "Once we kind of get to that period, probably have a better sense of which way it's going to go for the duration of the year."

Related players: Woody Marks, Nick Chubb, Dare Ogunbowale

Sidelined throughout spring activities, training camp and the preseason, a prolonged foot injury jeopardized Mixon's return to the lineup in 2025, the story went on to say. It at least sounds like the team expects Mixon to make a return this year, but when that will be is anyone's guess at this point. As long as you have an IR spot, it's OK to keep Mixon on your roster, but even IR spots can be valuable as the season goes on. For now, Marks and Chubb look like they will carry the load in the backfield for Houston.