NFL Trade Rumors: Kansas City Chiefs, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Denver Broncos linked to $55M Houston Texans running back

The Houston Texans released 29-year-old Joe Mixon days before the new league year. He was in the final year of his $27M three-year contract. This move saved $8M in cap space for Houston. They recently acquired Detroit Lions star running back David Montgomery.Anyhow, the two-time Pro Bowler missed an entire 2025 season due to a mysterious foot injury he suffered during the 2025 offseason. He missed the team’s workouts, training camp, and ended up on the non-football injury list by the end of the camp. He was projected to be sidelined for four games, but he missed the entire season.There was hope for Mixon’s return, but his foot never healed. So, the Texans leaned on rookie Woody Marks and free agency Nick Chubb for 2025. Marks recorded 703 rushing yards while Chubb clocked 506 rushing yards. They entered the playoffs with this updated roster.In Feb. 2026, KPRC 2 Houston’s Aaron Wilson reported that Texans GM Nick Caserio confirmed Mixon underwent surgery during the 2026 offseason but did not provide any additional details on his status.“He didn’t do anything off the field,” Caserio said. “It wasn’t like he was riding a snowmobile or anything like that. I would say it was more of a medical condition or situation that didn’t really improve as much as everyone would hope.” Caserio further shared that the running back did not jump off a building, wasn’t cliff diving, or doing anything irresponsible. It was a “freak thing.” The GM said he had never seen anything like that. Wilson reported Houston would release Mixon with a failed physical designation. Caserio called Mixon a moving target. His future with the franchise was dependent on 2026 prognosis.In two weeks’ time, they found a potentially great addition: David Montgomery. They acquired Detroit’s Montgomery on March 2. Who remained? Joe Mixon, their sidelined back from 2025. After locking in their 2026 dreams with David, they decided to move on from Mixon. Four days after the blockbuster trade, the Texans released the 29-year-old back.Now that Mixon is one of the top remaining free agents for the 2026 season, several teams have been linked to him. While the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders were initially tied to the veteran back, more recent interest came from the Kansas City Chiefs, Pittsburgh Steelers and Denver Broncos.NFL Insider Jason La Canfora reported a few days back that the Chiefs were “high” on Mixon.However those rumors were likely put to rest after the team re-signed Kareem Hunt, who was a 2026 free agent. This move may signal that Kansas City has its plans for the backfield sorted.The Chiefs viewed him as a low-cost, high-upside addition to their franchise.The next team linked to the former Texans RB was the Steelers. The Insider revealed that Pittsburgh saw plenty of Mixon in his prime during his years with the Cincinnati Bengals.Furthermore, the Steelers had a vacant spot after Kenneth Gainwell signed a two-year, $14M contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. While league sources indicated the franchise had interest in the veteran back, the Steelers chose not to wait. Instead, they signed Rico Dowdle to a two-year, $12.25M contract. The third team tied to Mixon is Denver. Sports Illustrated’s Chad Jenson reports the Texans RB could be a reliable complement and backup for J.K. Dobbins. Dobbins is returning from a Week 10 foot injury that sidelined him for the remainder of the 2025 season.La Canfora also reports Denver is seeking more power and consistency in its run game, noting that Mixon could be a “good fit” for Sean Payton’s offense.Denver appears to be one of the few remaining landing spots without a clear lead free-agent running back. While they re-signed Dobbins, they need someone to help shoulder the responsibilities.Although the Broncos recently re-signed Jaleel McLaughlin to a one-year, $1.1M contract and have 2025 second-round pick RJ Harvey as RB2, Jensen believes Mixon could still compete for a starting role. While Mixon has struggled with injuries at times, he has remained one of the NFL’s most productive backs since entering the league in 2017. BetMGM's Nick Hennion projects that a one-year contract in the $7.5 million or $8 million range would bring Mixon's compensation in line with Dobbins' deal. The Oklahoma alum recorded 7,428 rushing yards from 60 rushing touchdowns and 2,448 receiving yards from 14 receiving touchdowns in 111 games over eight seasons.In 2025, he did not play a single game. But in 2024, he made it to the Pro Bowl because of 245 rushing attempts for 1,016 yards and 11 touchdowns in 14 games for Houston. Spotrac’s calculated market value projects him signing a one-year contract worth $3.2M, giving him an annual income of $3.2M. Over nine years of his NFL career, he has earned more than $55M.And with that, we rest: Mixon for Broncos? Or he goes unclaimed? Only time will tell…