Joe Mixon’s next NFL opportunity is taking shape in Seattle, where injuries have left the Seahawks looking for help in their backfield.
The Seahawks plan to sign Mixon to their practice squad once he completes his medical exam, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Monday afternoon. Schefter said the examination was still underway when he posted the update.
Seattle’s plan is to sign Joe Mixon to its practice squad when he completes his medical exam, which he still is doing, per sources. https://t.co/lUuchpJzN4
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 5, 2026
That detail matters for both Seattle and anyone expecting Mixon to play immediately. The reported plan would bring him into the organization, but it does not establish a place on the game-day roster or a specific share of the carries.
Seattle has an immediate reason to explore the addition. Rookie Jadarian Price is on injured reserve, and Zach Charbonnet will not return for the upcoming game against San Francisco.
Mixon would give the Seahawks another option while they navigate those absences, with Emanuel Wilson coming off a productive performance against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Why the Seahawks are turning to Joe Mixon
Seattle’s backfield changed substantially Saturday when the team placed Price on injured reserve and signed Velus Jones Jr. from the practice squad.
Price’s chest injury initially occurred against Arizona in Week 2. He played the following week before aggravating it in practice, and the move to injured reserve requires him to miss at least four games.
Seattle therefore needs options beyond simply waiting for the rookie to recover between Sundays.
Charbonnet is progressing, but his return to practice should not be confused with clearance to play. Coach Mike Macdonald said Monday that the running back would not face the 49ers.
Charbonnet remains on the physically unable to perform list while returning from the torn ACL he suffered in last season’s divisional-round game. Macdonald said the next step involves more work within the offense.
“He’s going to get team reps this week, which is really exciting, and I know he’s looking forward to it as well,” Macdonald said.
Those timelines explain why Seattle can be encouraged by Charbonnet’s progress and still pursue another back. Getting through a practice week, becoming available for a game and handling a substantial workload are different steps.
A potential Mixon addition would give the staff another player to evaluate while Charbonnet continues that process.
Emanuel Wilson has already made a case for carries
Mixon would enter a backfield in which Wilson has just delivered a strong response to increased responsibility.
Wilson logged 21 carries for 81 yards and a rushing touchdown in Sunday’s 30-23 win over the Chargers. He also caught three passes for 39 yards and another touchdown, giving him 120 yards from scrimmage on 24 touches.
It was his second game this season with 21 rushing attempts. He had 92 rushing yards against Arizona in Week 2, and through four games he has 190 yards on 53 carries.
The contrast between those opportunities and Mixon’s uncertain immediate workload is significant. Wilson has current production in Seattle’s offense; Mixon would first need to complete the reported signing process and establish what he can contribute.
“We’re going to need him throughout the course of the season, so happy to see him get going,” Jaxon Smith-Njigba said of Wilson in the team’s postgame report.
George Holani also remained involved, running seven times for 18 yards. Seattle finished with 132 rushing yards, with Rashid Shaheed contributing a 28-yard touchdown run as the offense found production beyond its conventional running-back rotation.
What Mixon brings after a season away
Mixon’s most recent playing season provides a reason for Seattle to investigate the fit. He rushed for 1,016 yards and 11 touchdowns on 245 carries in 2024.
That production came with Houston, before a foot injury kept him out for the entire 2025 season. The Texans’ transaction log records his release on March 6.
Seattle would thus be evaluating a player with a substantial rushing résumé but no recent regular-season workload. The two facts belong together: his previous production makes the opportunity interesting, while the time away leaves his present role to be determined.
A completed medical examination would address one part of that process. It would not, by itself, tell the coaching staff how many snaps to give him, which situations suit him best or how quickly he can become comfortable in a new offense.
The practice squad offers a route to assess those questions without immediately assigning Mixon a permanent spot on the 53-man roster. Under the NFL’s standard elevation mechanism, a practice-squad player can be made available for a game and subsequently return to the practice squad.
That mechanism creates flexibility, but an elevation would still be a separate decision. Monday’s reported signing plan should not be treated as an announcement that Mixon will suit up against San Francisco.
Fantasy outlook: Mixon is a stash, Wilson has the clearer role
For fantasy purposes, Mixon belongs on the watch list as a possible bench stash rather than an immediate start. A speculative waiver claim makes more sense for a manager with room to wait than for someone who needs dependable touches this week.
Wilson has the clearer short-term case because of his documented workload and receiving involvement. Mixon’s arrival would add uncertainty to future touch distribution, but it does not erase what Wilson just did or establish that the veteran would take his job.
Holani’s involvement and Charbonnet’s eventual return also matter when assessing the ceiling of any addition. This could remain a changing backfield rather than settling into a single replacement for Price.
The next useful signals are confirmation of Mixon’s signing, practice participation, a roster elevation or promotion, and the coaches’ assessment of his readiness. Until those emerge, Seattle’s pursuit is a meaningful depth move with an opportunity attached, not a confirmed new lead-back arrangement.
