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DJ Bayan Amy, ESPN
HOUSTON — Two days after trading for Joe Mixon, the Houston Texans gave him a three-year contract extension worth $27 million, including $13 million guaranteed, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter.
On Tuesday, the Texans traded a 2024 seventh-round pick to the Cincinnati Bengals for Mixon after he was expected to be released when the Bengals reached an agreement with free agent running back Zach Moss on Monday.
The Texans are hoping Mixon, who rushed for 1,034 yards and nine touchdowns, can bolster their 2023 rushing attack that ranks just 28th in yards per game (92.7).
Mixon said the trade was “shocking” to him.
“I have to say it was definitely shocking,” Mixon said Thursday. “It took 24 to 48 hours for me to get hurt. It took a while and I still get emotional about it. But this is a place where I can forever feel like home.”
The former 2017 second-round pick spent seven seasons in Cincinnati and was a Pro Bowl selection in 2021. He was a member of the Bengals team that lost to the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LVI.
Mixon, 27, rushed for 6,412 yards during his Bengals career, averaging 4.1 yards per carry and scoring 49 touchdowns. He also caught 283 passes for 2,139 yards and 14 TDs.
However, Mixon is eager for a fresh start in Houston and hopes to achieve similar success from Cincinnati.
“We bought Cincinnati, put the lights back on, and I plan to bring the same thing here,” Mixon said. “[Texan] I'm sure the fans – they got a taste of that last year, but I feel like with what we have in the pipeline, I think it's going to be something great. “Like I said, I'm excited to be here, I feel wanted, and I can't wait to make the most of my opportunity when I'm called.”
One reason Mixon is excited to be in Houston is 2023 Offensive Quarterback of the Year CJ Stroud, who led the NFL in touchdown-to-interception ratio (23:5) and passed for 274 yards per game.
“Yeah, well, C.J. is a special player. Obviously he was Rookie of the Year, and that's no coincidence,” Mixon said. “…With the quarterback that we have in CJ, like I said, he's phenomenal, and I know for a fact that he's going to make the next jump, and that's in terms of them winning the playoffs. But obviously we're going to take them one game at a time.”
