KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - JANUARY 18: Joe Mixon #28 of the Houston Texans runs the ball during an NFL football AFC divisional playoff game against the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on January 18, 2025 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Perry Knotts / Getty Images)
RENTON, Wash. - The Seattle Seahawks are planning to sign running back Joe Mixon to their practice squad after working out with the team on Monday morning if he passes a physical.
Head coach Mike Macdonald wouldn't confirm plans to sign Mixon during his availability with reporters on Monday afternoon, but the need for extra depth with Jadarian Price and Jacardia Wright dealing with injuries led to the team seeking outside help.
"Joe worked out this morning and is going through the process right now of whatever else it entails of how the process goes," Macdonald said.
Mixon was undergoing medical checks prior to signing with the team during Macdonald's meeting with reporters.
Dig deeper:
Mixon, 30, did not play in the NFL last season after reportedly injuring his foot away from football activity while with the Houston Texans in the summer of 2025. Mixon had been coming off a Pro Bowl season with Houston, rushing for 1,016 yards and 11 touchdowns, and catching 36 passes for 309 yards and a touchdown in 2024.
"It wasn't like he was riding a snowmobile or anything like that," Texans general manager Nick Caserio told Houston reporters in January. "It was more of a medical condition or situation that never ... really didn't improve maybe as much as everybody would have hoped. I'm not trying to evade the question, that's the reality of the situation. He didn't jump off a building. He wasn't cliff diving or anything. He wasn't doing anything irresponsible. It was just a freak thing."
The Texans released Mixon in March and he's been unsigned since.
Mixon seemingly confirmed the agreement on his Twitter account on Monday afternoon.
The backstory:
The need for running back help comes as Price was placed on injured reserve on Saturday, and Wright – a running back on the practice squad – is also dealing with health issues currently.
Price will be out through at least the end of the month as he has to miss four games on the injured reserve list due to his chest injury initially sustained against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 2. He'll miss contests against the San Francisco 49ers, Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs before being eligible to return against the Chicago Bears on Nov. 2.
Wright was not an option for Seattle this week against the Los Angeles Chargers as Velus Jones Jr. was signed to the active roster from the practice squad for additional depth.
"Jacardia has done a great job," Macdonald said on Friday. "He's a really good player. Working through some things right now that we're going to help him navigate through health-wise."
The addition of Mixon will help the Seahawks buy time for Zach Charbonnet to get back to full strength ahead of his return to action. Charbonnet was designated to return to practice from the physically unable to perform list on Thursday and took part in two workouts with the team. He's expected to get some team reps this week as the Seahawks ramp up his workload.
"Don't know the exact number (of reps), but it's the next stage in his return to play progression, and we'll kind of go from there," Macdonald said. "It's exciting. I'm sure he's excited to get some team reps on Wednesday and the pads on. It should be great."
Notes
– Macdonald said there was nothing new on the status of defensive tackle Leonard Williams since he said on his weekly radio show on Seattle Sports 710 AM on Monday morning that they were "optimistic" about his chances to play this week.
"We've got to see how the week goes," Macdonald said then.
Williams appeared to turn his ankle over stepping on a player during the fourth quarter of the win over the Chargers. His left ankle just rolled outward as he collapsed to the ground. He walked off the field on his own and remained on the sidelines with his helmet after being evaluated in the sideline injury tent.
The injury appeared to be more of the ‘basketball’ ankle variety you see when a player lands on someone's foot and it rolls over.
The Source: Information in this story comes from The Associated Press and FOX 13 Seattle reporting.
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