Texans Face Offseason Questions Around Joe Mixon and Turnovers After Breakout Year
The Houston Texans are coming off one of their most promising seasons in recent memory-a 12-5 regular season finish and a trip to the Divisional Round. But even with all the momentum, there are some big questions looming this offseason.
Chief among them: the status of veteran running back Joe Mixon, and how to help franchise quarterback C.J. Stroud clean up costly turnovers in big moments.
Joe Mixon’s Future in Houston Remains Murky
Texans GM Nick Caserio didn’t mince words when asked about Joe Mixon’s outlook for 2026. After missing the entire 2025 season due to what Caserio described as a “freak” medical issue, Mixon's return remains uncertain.
“We haven’t seen Joe in a little bit,” Caserio said. “At some point we’ll see him, and then we’ll be able to evaluate where he is. Based on that, we’ll determine his status.”
Caserio didn’t go into specifics about what sidelined Mixon, but he made one thing clear: this wasn’t a case of a player making poor off-field decisions. “It wasn’t like he was riding a snowmobile or anything like that,” Caserio added. “It was more of a medical condition or situation that didn’t improve the way everyone hoped.”
He emphasized that Mixon wasn’t engaged in any reckless behavior. “He didn’t jump off a building.
He wasn’t cliff diving. It was just a freak thing.”
For now, the Texans are in wait-and-see mode. Mixon’s absence was felt this past season, and while the Texans found ways to win without him, his potential return could add a valuable dimension to an already potent offense-assuming he’s healthy enough to go.
Stroud’s Stellar Rookie Campaign Ends With a Hard Lesson
C.J. Stroud was electric in his first full season as the Texans’ starting quarterback.
He broke records, passed legends, and gave Houston fans a reason to believe they’ve found their guy for the long haul. But in the playoffs, the rookie quarterback learned a tough lesson: in January, turnovers kill.
Stroud threw four interceptions in the Divisional Round loss to the Patriots, a performance that stood in stark contrast to his typically efficient, poised play during the regular season. Caserio acknowledged both the accomplishment and the setback.
“C.J. had a really good season,” Caserio said. “He’s done a lot of great things for this team and this organization. Any time you pass John Elway in terms of what you’ve accomplished in a short period of time, that’s saying something.”
But the turnovers were glaring-and costly.
“You can’t turn the ball over,” Caserio said. “You look at the Divisional Round-Buffalo turned it over four times.
Brock Purdy and the Niners turned it over three times. Caleb Williams threw three picks.
The teams that turned it over lost.”
Despite the miscues, the Texans still had a shot to win late, which Caserio pointed to as a testament to the team's resilience. But he was also clear: ball security has to be priority number one moving forward.
“This was a franchise record for the fewest turnovers in a season,” he said. “We’ve shown we can take care of the football. We just didn’t do it in that game, and it cost us.”
Caserio and head coach DeMeco Ryans have hammered home the message to their quarterbacks: mitigate risk. “Your number one job as a quarterback is to mitigate risk.
Period. End of story.
Every single play.”
Titans Reflect on Vrabel’s Exit and Search for Identity
Over in Tennessee, the Titans are still wrestling with the aftermath of a major coaching change. After parting ways with Mike Vrabel in 2024, the team struggled to find its footing under Brian Callahan. Now, as Vrabel leads the Patriots to the AFC Championship, some Titans players can’t help but wonder what might’ve been.
Star defensive end Jeffery Simmons didn’t hide his feelings on the Bussin’ With The Boys podcast.
“Guys, they’re gonna speak their mind, like ‘Damn, what if? What if we could be in that situation right now?’” Simmons said.
The Titans finished the 2025 season without a clear identity-something Simmons believes was missing from the jump.
“As a team, that was something I was trying to help find,” he said. “Later in the season, we started running the football.
It was like, ‘Damn, why couldn’t we do this earlier?’ That should’ve been our identity to help a young quarterback.”
Simmons was careful not to throw Callahan under the bus, calling him a “great guy” and “great coach,” but he was candid in saying the timing just didn’t feel right.
“Going from Vrabel-we all knew what that looked like,” Simmons said. “The guys who’ve been there, we knew what it looked like to not let things slip.”
He described a team that lacked foundational structure, especially with so many rookies seeing significant snaps. “When you have such a young team, what can you really fall back on?
Who are the Tennessee Titans? What do we really stand for?
We didn’t have that.”
Simmons recalled how Vrabel set the tone from day one. “Everybody came in with notebooks and pencils.
Vrabel would walk in and say, ‘What are you guys ready to write down? I’m not gonna talk about nothing right now.’
We knew what he expected.”
Titans OC Search Continues
The Titans are now in the market for a new offensive coordinator, and several names have been floated. Former Giants head coach Brian Daboll, Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, and Dolphins pass game coordinator Bobby Slowik were among the candidates mentioned.
However, Slowik has since been hired as the Dolphins’ offensive coordinator, and 49ers OC Klay Kubiak, another name in the mix, has withdrawn his name from consideration, choosing to stay in San Francisco.
With a young quarterback and a team in transition, whoever takes the OC job in Tennessee will have their hands full-but also a chance to shape the next chapter of Titans football.
Bottom Line
In Houston, the Texans are building something special-but they know they can’t rest on a strong season. Joe Mixon’s health and C.J. Stroud’s development are two storylines to watch closely this offseason.
Meanwhile, the Titans are still searching for stability after a turbulent year. The echoes of Vrabel’s leadership still linger in the locker room, and the next OC hire could play a pivotal role in helping Tennessee rediscover its identity.
The AFC South is shifting-and both of these teams are right in the thick of it.