Joe Mixon injury update: Latest on Texans RB's status for Fantasy Football Week 6

Joe Mixon was part of a transaction spree for the Houston Texans in the offseason, having been acquired from the Cincinnati Bengals in a trade. He joined a monstrous offensive core that at the time included Dameon Pierce, Nico Collins, Tank Dell and Dalton Schultz and later acquired Stefon Diggs in another trade.

But so far, he has played just two games (both starts) and had only 39 carries for 184 yards and a touchdown, a far cry from his dominance in Southern Ohio. And now something has happened that could put him behind the supposed backup Cam Akers in both the real and virtual fields.

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Joe Mixon injury update: What happened to Texans RB?

On Wednesday, it was reported that Mixon did not participate in practice because of an ankle injury. The injury initially occurred in Week 2 when Chicago Bears linebacker TJ Edwards took him down with a hip-drop tackle that somehow went uncalled.

The league had banned the move during its offseason meetings in March, the reasoning for which coach DeMeco Ryans was quick to stress a day after the 19-13 win:

"The hip-drop tackle doesn't happen much, but the percentage of injury when it does happen is very high, and you saw that there with Joe and his ankle and the defender landing on his ankle."

The league fined Edwards $16,883 for the illegal tackle.

More than three weeks later, it seems to continue bothering him. In the meantime, Akers has been stellar, carrying the ball 38 times for 148 yards and a touchdown. And should his peer continue missing practice en route to an "OUT" designation, Akers stands a good chance to surpass him as the Texans' leading rusher.

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When will Joe Mixon possibly return?

So far, Joe Mixon has missed three consecutive games with his ankle injury. According to Jesse Morse, a sports doctor and owner of the NFL database Injury Expertz, it is a medial ankle sprain that requires around three weeks of healing.

And to him, it is disconcerting that the running back still cannot practice, let alone play, well after the supposed recovery time has lapsed.

Ryans is still unsure when his running back will return, if at all. This Monday, he told reporters:

“We don’t know as of right now. I can’t give you that answer but we will see how Joe improves over the week. He has definitely been improving week to week, he’s been doing a great job attacking his rehab.”

Other Texans offensive starters who missed Wednesday's session are wide receiver Nico Collins (hamstring, IR), guard Kenyon Green (knee) and tackles Laremy Tunsil (ankle) and Tytus Howard (hamstring).