During his seven seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, star running back Joe Mixon was extremely prolific, with only two seasons in which he did not achieve 1,000 yards from scrimmage and at least four touchdowns Although Mixon did not produce eye-popping numbers for the Bengals, he was still an important element of the team’s attack, along with great quarterback Joe Burrow and standout wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase.
After seven seasons with the team and a strained relationship with the Bengals franchise, the team traded him to the Houston Texans after it was claimed that they would release him, which surprised everyone, including the veteran back.
During his inaugural news conference with the Texans, Mixon was questioned about his response to getting moved to Houston, and he laughed and said that it was definitely a surprise, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston.
“It was definitely unexpected,” Mixon remarked. “I can simply say that. It was obviously a bombshell.”
Before NFL free agency began this week, the Texans were believed to be on the approach of signing former New York Giants star running back Saquon Barkley, who appeared determined to change teams in order to improve his chances of winning the Super Bowl.
The addition of Barkley would have been a game changer for Houston, but he ultimately surprised everyone by signing with the Philadelphia Eagles instead.
With Barkley pivoting at the last minute, the Texans grabbed at the chance to bring in Mixon, which might pay handsomely right away.
