Joe Mixon is kind of an anomaly in the modern NFL. Most running backs hit that scary age-27 wall and basically disappear into the abyss of practice squads or early retirement. But if you actually look at Joe Mixon career stats, you’ll see a guy who somehow found a second gear after leaving Cincinnati.
It's wild. People thought he was washed when the Bengals moved on. Then he shows up in Houston for the 2024 season and puts up 1,016 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns in just 14 games. He’s like a zombie that refuses to stay down.
The Numbers That Actually Matter
Honestly, everyone focuses on the total yardage, but the consistency is the real story here. As of early 2026, Mixon is sitting on over 7,400 career rushing yards. That’s a massive number for someone who’s been in the league since 2017. He’s not just a "three yards and a cloud of dust" guy either.
Check this out: he’s got 60 career rushing touchdowns. Sixty. That’s a lot of paint in the end zone.
What’s even crazier is his work in the passing game. A lot of folks forget he’s a legit receiving threat. He’s hauled in over 300 catches for nearly 2,500 yards. In 2022, he actually set a career-high with 60 receptions. He’s basically a safety valve that never breaks.
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Why the 2024 Season Changed Everything
The move to the Houston Texans was supposed to be the "graceful exit" phase of his career. Instead, he turned into a workhorse again. He averaged 4.2 yards per carry in Houston—better than his final few years in Cincy. He even earned another Pro Bowl nod in 2024.
He did something in 2024 that no one else has done: he logged 100 rushing yards and a touchdown in six consecutive road games. That’s pure grit. You don't do that by accident or by having a "lucky" offensive line. You do that by being a north-south runner who knows how to find the gap.
Breaking Down the Cincinnati Years
The Bengals era was a roller coaster. Mixon had four different 1,000-yard seasons in Cincinnati. His peak was probably 2021, the year they went to the Super Bowl. He rushed for 1,205 yards and 13 touchdowns that season.
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But it wasn't always smooth. In 2020, he only played six games because of a foot injury. People started calling him "injury prone" back then, which is hilarious now considering he's played nearly every game since.
- 2018: 1,168 yards (Led the AFC in rushing)
- 2019: 1,137 yards
- 2021: 1,205 yards (Career high)
- 2023: 1,034 yards
He also holds a bunch of Bengals records that might stand for a long time. Like that game against Carolina in 2022 where he scored five touchdowns. Five. One guy. He basically won thousands of fantasy football matchups by himself that Sunday.
The Durability Factor
Mixon has over 1,800 career carries. To put that in perspective, he’s second only to Derrick Henry among active backs in total workload. That’s a lot of hits. His ability to stay productive while taking that kind of punishment is sort of legendary among scouts.
He’s 6'1" and 220 pounds, which is a big frame, but he runs with a lot of lean. He doesn't take many direct, helmet-to-helmet shots. That’s probably why his Joe Mixon career stats still look so good this late in the game.
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What’s Next for Mixon?
Looking ahead, Mixon is chasing some serious milestones. He’s closing in on the 10,000 yards from scrimmage mark, which is usually the "Hall of Fame conversation" territory. Whether he gets there depends on how much more gas is in the tank.
He’s 29 now. In running back years, that’s about 105. But the way he looked in 2024 and 2025 suggests he’s got at least another solid year of "bell-cow" production left in him. He’s adapted. He isn't trying to outrun everyone to the edge anymore; he’s picking his spots and punishing linebackers in the hole.
If you're tracking his legacy, keep an eye on his total touchdowns. If he hits 75 or 80 total scores before he hangs them up, he moves into a very exclusive club of NFL legends.
To get the most out of following Mixon's late-career surge, you should monitor his "yards after contact" metrics. That's the real tell-tale sign of when a back is losing his burst. As long as he stays above 2.5 yards after contact, he remains a high-end starter in any system. You can also track his snap percentage—if he stays above 60% of team offensive plays, the Texans clearly still view him as the engine of their ground game.