TAMPA, FL — The Houston Texans didn’t just move on from Joe Mixon; they slammed the door shut. When Houston shipped draft capital and offensive lineman Juice Scruggs to the Lions for David Montgomery last Monday, the writing hit the wall. By Friday, the Texans officially released Mixon with a non-football injury designation. Now, the veteran running back is staring at the open market right as the NFL’s legal tampering window opens tomorrow at noon. And predictably, rumors are swirling that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers should make a move.
The 30-Year-Old Cliff is Real
SI.com recently floated Tampa Bay as a prime landing spot for Mixon. On paper, it sounds intriguing. The Bucs need backfield depth, and Mixon boasts a stellar resume, sitting seventh among active players with over 7,400 career rushing yards. But peek beneath the hood, and alarm bells ring loud enough to shake Raymond James Stadium.
General managers know the brutal math of the NFL. Running backs pushing 30 enter a terrifying danger zone. Mixon turns 30 this July. Worse, he missed the entire 2025 season with a mysterious foot injury that Texans GM Nick Caserio previously described as a “freak thing.” Houston placed him on the NFI list in August, and he never touched the grass. I stood near the tunnel during Mixon’s dominant 2024 playoff run—the man ran like a runaway freight train. Defenders didn’t just tackle him; they survived him. But seeing a bruising back sit out an entire year strips away that aura of invincibility. It reminds you how brutally unforgiving this sport is on the lower body. Paying top dollar for an aging back with a surgically repaired, unpredictable foot is exactly how playoff windows close.
“Well, I’m sure not going into training camp with just two running backs.”
— Jason Licht, Buccaneers General Manager
The Bucky Irving Factor
Licht spoke truth on the “Ira Kaufman Podcast” at the Combine. The buzz inside the convention center hallways didn’t deter Licht from stating the obvious: The Bucs absolutely need fresh legs. Second-year back Bucky Irving showed massive flashes during his 2024 rookie campaign, but 2025 was a different story. Irving battled through his own injuries, logging just 10 games and grinding out 588 rushing yards at a sluggish 3.4 yards per carry. Even when healthy last season, the burst simply wasn’t there consistently enough to carry the offense.
Tampa Bay requires a reliable, explosive complement in the backfield to keep the chains moving and protect the quarterback. Defensive coordinators adapt fast; they figured out the Bucs’ run-game tendencies last year and forced them into predictable third-and-longs. Adding a dynamic piece is non-negotiable.
Playoff Implications / What’s Next
The Buccaneers operate with clear intentions heading into the 2026 league year. They have the cap space to be aggressive, but throwing a multi-year deal at Mixon carries extreme risk. If his foot acts up again in August, Tampa Bay burns valuable cap space and finds itself right back in a one-dimensional offense.
Expect Licht and the front office to target younger, more durable options when the tampering window opens tomorrow. They might sniff around the secondary free-agent market or look to the middle rounds of the draft for a low-cost bruiser. Mixon offers incredible upside if he magically channels his 2024 Pro Bowl form, but the historical data on aging, injured running backs suggests otherwise. The Bucs should let someone else roll the dice.
