Joe Mixon was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in 2017 and spent the first seven years of his NFL career with the organization, becoming one of the best running backs in franchise history.
During his time in Cincinnati, Mixon recorded four 1,000-yard-plus rushing seasons and totaled 1,571 attempts for 6,412 yards and 49 touchdowns across 97 games.
The Bengals traded him to the Houston Texans in 2024, where he had another stellar year, posting 245 carries for 1,016 yards and 11 touchdowns while earning his second career Pro Bowl selection.
Since then, though, Mixon has remained sidelined with an undisclosed foot and ankle injury that was serious enough for him to request his release from the Texans. He underwent multiple procedures during the 2025 season, which he missed entirely, and remained unsigned entering the 2026 season.
Mixon Signs With Seahawks on Monday
After working out with the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks on Monday, Mixon signed a contract with the team. He’ll join an RB room that is pretty wide open and currently led by Emmanuel Wilson after rookie Jadarian Price landed on IR.
Via ESPN’s Mike Garafolo who broke the news: “The #Seahawks are signing Joe Mixon after today’s workout, source says. The veteran running back returns to the NFL.”
The #Seahawks are signing Joe Mixon after today’s workout, source says. The veteran running back returns to the NFL. https://t.co/dZ6kDwNtr2
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) October 5, 2026
He hinted at a return over the weekend in a social media post, sharing a highlight tape on his Instagram. Shortly before the news broke, he also shared a photo of the Seahawks’ stadium on his story.
Seahawks RB Outlook
What version of Mixon we’ll see is obviously a major question mark after the injury kept him out for as long as it did. But the last time we saw him on the field in 2024, he was still very productive.
Seattle will likely continue to have Wilson handle the bulk of the carries, at least for the foreseeable future, while Zach Charbonnet appears to be working toward a return after suffering a season-ending injury last season.
Ex-Bengals RB Joe Mixon Suddenly Signs With New NFL Team After Major Injury