The Houston Texans have been a revolving door at running back in recent years with a different leading rusher each of the last six seasons. If the coaches get what they expect out of veteran free-agent signee Joe Mixon, said streak will continue for a seventh straight year.
With the moves made in this offseason, Houston is looking to fast-track a rise in the AFC and is putting a lot of money into players like Mixon and wide receiver Stefon Diggs to give quarterback C.J. Stroud as many weapons as possible.
Former starter Dameon Pierce is looking to reclaim his career after a meteoric rise in 2022 and just as sharp a decline in 2023.
7/21 update: RB Cam Akers was signed after this analysis went live. He’s coming off another torn Achilles tendon — this time his right one — which was suffered in Week 9 last season. Akers has participated in on-field training camp work, and he’s expected to compete for a roster spot. In best-case scenario, he unseats Pierce as the No. 2 back. We’ll closely monitor this situation during training camp.