Cam Akers

Ryans added, "I'm not worried about Joe," to reiterate his confidence in his veteran running back. There haven't been any reports of an injury to Mixon, but his absence is intriguing when considering they have worked out a handful of veteran backs over the last few days, and recently signed Cam Akers. The team appears unconcerned about Mixon at this time, giving us little go go on here. Unless we hear otherwise, we'll assume Mixon will be back practicing with the team soon and that this is little more than a blip on the training camp radar.

The Texans signed running back Cam Akers on Monday.

It's the latest sign that Mixon, 27, who signed a three-year contract extension with Houston this offseason, will be the team's unquestioned primary back in 2024. Though Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans recently said Mixon and Dameon Pierce will be a "one-two punch," all indications point to Mixon as the lead back who will see high-leverage touches in the ascendant Houston offense. Mixon totaled more than 1,200 yards in each of his final three years with the Bengals. Pierce in 2023 was among the worst running backs in the NFL, averaging 2.8 yards per carry. He'll be a backfield insurance option in Mixon misses time this season. The team recently added journeyman Cam Akers to the backfield.

The Texans on Sunday signed RB Cam Akers.

Cam Akers is coming off another torn Achilles