The Texans are starting the season without Joe Mixon. The star running back will miss at least the first four games after the team announced Monday that Mixon will be placed on the reserve/non-football injury list at 4 p.m. on Tuesday. Tuesday is the day NFL teams have to cut down their rosters to 53 players.

Under NFL rules, the earliest that Mixon can return is Week 5. Houston opens the year on the road against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 1. The Texans host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 2, travel to Jacksonville to take on the Jaguars in Week 3, and come back home for a Week 4 tilt against the Tennessee Titans.

Joe Mixon, the Houston Texans' top rusher last season, will miss the first four games due to a non-football injury. The team will depend on Nick Chubb, Dameon Pierce, rookie Woody Marks, and Dare Ogunbowale to uphold their rushing strategy in Mixon's absence.