Houston Texans

Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon is lashing out at the NFL over a fine he received for something he didn't say.

Mixon started out by tagging the NFL on X and calling the league "wild" with a GIF of the classic Rik Rok and Shaggy music video.

Further context was added when Mixon said the league was fining him for something "someone else said" and joked he might later get fined by the NFL for Connor McDavid cross-checking an opponent in an NHL game.

Per Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio, Mixon was fined $25,000 by the NFL.

The situation stems from comments about the officiating in Saturday's AFC Divisional Round game between the Texans and Kansas City Chiefs. Mixon didn't call out the officials after the 23-14 loss, but said you can't "leave it into the refs' hands" to win a game.

Former NFL wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh was vocal about the refs, posting on X the officials are trash using emojis and "bias."

Florio noted the NFL didn't include the quote that got Mixon fined in the discipline letter, but Mixon's agent, Peter Schaffer, said he intends to "defend and appeal" the fine and "explore all other legal avenues to rectify this situation."

Of note, Florio reported the NFL revised the fine, citing Mixon said teams can't "leave it into the refs' hands." Mixon also commented on the latest development:

There was a lot of frustration from the Texans with how the game was officiated, particularly unnecessary roughness and roughing the passer penalties involving Patrick Mahomes.

The Chiefs scored 10 points on two drives that featured a 15-yard penalty against the Texans. Houston was called for eight penalties that cost it 82 yards, compared to four penalties for 29 yards for the Chiefs.

Amid the criticism over the calls, the NFL said the calls against the Texans were correct.

After Houston Texans cornerback Kris Boyd was seen shoving special teams coach Frank Ross in a viral video from Saturday's loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Divisional Round, head coach DeMeco Ryans downplayed the situation on Monday.

"I don't think he was pushing Frank in a disrespectful manner," Ryans told reporters. "I think it was moreso he was fired up—overly fired up—and thought he made a play to help us. So that narrative that he's pushing a coach, that's incorrect."

Boyd's outburst occurred after Chiefs returner Nikko Remigio broke a 63-yard return on the game's opening kickoff. Boyd had stripped the ball and celebrated by taking his helmet off as he ran toward the Texans sideline, but he did so without realizing that the Chiefs had recovered the fumble. He was assessed an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty before he pushed Ross as he walked off the field.

After the Texans suffered a 23-14 loss, Boyd explained the altercation and apologized for his actions.

"I got the ball out. And as I'm getting up, I look at the screen, I see nothing but white, and they're all pointing [the Texans'] way," Boyd said. "So I was like, oh yeah, we got the ball too. Turn over, and I was just turnt. ... I love everybody here. I love my coaches. I never disrespect anybody. I apologized to everybody. [Ross] told me 'Don't worry about that.'"

While Ryans understood Boyd's overexcitement, he added that the six-year veteran needs to keep his poise and avoid future missteps.

"He came over with the excitement, overly excited that he made a play, but we can't lose our minds in that sense of taking our helmet off," Ryans said. "We still have to remain poised, right. We cannot take a helmet off in a game, everyone knows and understands the rules."

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud lobbied for the team to retain wide receiver Stefon Diggs, who is heading to free agency this offseason.

Stroud told reporters Monday he'd "love" to have Diggs back in Houston, adding that he and the four-time Pro Bowler "were just getting started" and "starting to build a rapport" on the field.

Running back Joe Mixon echoed the sentiment and said the veteran wideout may have "unfinished business" on the team.

The Texans acquired Diggs to much fanfare. He had had four straight 1,000-yard receiving seasons and was joining a receiving corps that already included Nico Collins and Tank Dell.

Things didn't pan out as expected.

The 31-year-old suffered a torn ACL in October that ended his season after eight games, and his production to that point reinforced some of the concerns about his skills declining with age. His 10.6 yards per catch were the second-lowest of his career, and his average depth of target (8.7 yards) nearly matched his lowest output dating back to 2018, per Pro Football Reference.

Diggs looked like a once-elite pass-catcher on the downswing career before getting hurt, and now he'll be coming off a major injury in 2025 that could accelerate the decline.

Stroud's endorsement is likely to carry some weight within Houston's front office, and it's doubtful Diggs will be in a position to command a salary commensurate with the top of the receiver market.

Dell's own major knee injury creates the need for the Texans to be active either through free agency or the draft to get another wideout to pair with Collins.

Still, general manager Nick Caserio may not share Stroud and Mixon's desire for a reunion with Diggs.

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud is impressed with Jayden Daniels going as far as the NFC Championship Game in his rookie season with the Washington Commanders.

"I'm so proud of him. In my opinion, he's had the best rookie year of all-time," Stroud said Monday.

Stroud continued: "We talk a lot, and I'm just very, very, very, very, very happy for him, and very proud of him. I don't root for many other teams, but I'm rooting for my boy. I'm rooting for the Commanders."

Stroud and the Texans were eliminated from the Divisional round Saturday by the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs. Daniels and the Commanders upset the top-seeded Detroit Lions later the same day to reach the NFC title game.

Daniels responded to being on the biggest stage of his career by going 22-of-31 with 299 yards and two touchdowns in Detroit. He threw no interceptions, took no sacks, and finished with a passer rating of 122.9.

He especially excelled against the blitz, going 12-of-16 for 191 yards and a touchdown.

Daniels heads into the NFC Championship Game having recorded 567 passing yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions, while adding 87 yards on 29 carries through two playoff wins.

Stroud told reporters Daniels' success is especially meaningful for kids in California. Stroud, who hails from Rancho Cucamonga, and Daniels, who grew up in San Bernardino, are both from the Southern part of the state.

"I'm so happy for that dude, not only just for him. The motivation that he's giving, back home where we come from, you have no idea," Stroud said.

Stroud continued: "It's giving kids back home hope that they can do it, too."

Daniels is set to become the NFL's sixth rookie quarterback to start a conference championship game next weekend.

If he is able to lead the Commanders to victory over the Philadelphia Eagles' dangerous pass rush, he would become the first of those six signal-callers to win one.

Daniels excelled in the Commanders' last matchup with the Eagles on Dec. 22, during which he passed for five touchdowns during a Week 16 win. If he is able to repeat that performance on Sunday, he could become the first quarterback to cap off his first NFL season by starting in the Super Bowl.

Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans understood that his team entered their 23-14 playoff loss to the Kansas City Chiefs as clear underdogs.

"We knew going into this game, man, it was us versus everybody," Ryans told reporters after the game when asked about the officiating.

"When I say everybody, I mean everybody. The naysayers, the doubt. Everybody we had to go against again today. Going into this game knowing what we were up against, we can't make the mistakes we made. We had a lot of self-inflicted mistakes."

Ryans and the Texans knew Saturday's game against the back-to-back champion Chiefs would be a challenge. The test was made harder by some penalty calls that favored Kansas City.

Two penalties for hits on Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, including a roughing the passer call on defensive end Will Anderson and a late hit penalty by Henry To'oTo'o, led to 10 points for the Chiefs.

Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud threw for 245 yards in the loss while enduring an astounding eight sacks at Arrowhead Stadium.

"This kind of thing, it's us against the world when you're playing in these type of environments and games," Stroud told reporters after the loss.

In addition to the questionable calls, Ryans acknowledged the self-inflicted wounds that impacted the game, including missed field goals, defensive breakdowns and a lack of pass protection—factors that all contributed to the struggle.

"You marry that with everything else we have to deal with," Ryans said when reflecting on the difficult challenge of facing the Chiefs.

The Houston Texans had plenty of chances to pull off an upset over the top-seeded Kansas City Chiefs in the Divisional round of the NFL playoffs on Saturday.

The bid, which was marred by sacks and miscues, came up short.

The Texans entered the fourth quarter down by one point and had opportunities to pull off a stunner. However, a missed extra point, a blocked field goal and several late sacks ruined any chance at playing spoiler.

The Chiefs only produced 212 yards of offense and possessed the ball for just 26 minutes and 34 seconds. The Texans, meanwhile, totaled 336 total yards and held the ball for 33 minutes and 19 seconds.

Penalties and sacks undid the Texans, as the team had eight of each. That spoiled solid efforts from quarterback C.J. Stroud, who went 19-of-29 for 245 yards, and running back Joe Mixon, who had 18 carries for 88 yards and a touchdown.

Fans took to social media to criticize the missed opportunities from Houston and the lack of competent play from the team's offensive line.

Kansas City clinched a seventh straight AFC title game appearance and will face either the Baltimore Ravens or Buffalo Bills for a chance to advance to the Super Bowl for the fifth time in the last six seasons.

Houston, however, heads home after a 10-7 regular season and another postseason that ended in disappointment.

Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell opened up Saturday about the difficulty of watching his team's Divisional Round matchup with the Kansas Chiefs from afar.

Dell will miss the 2024 postseason after suffering a severe knee injury in a Week 16 loss to the Chiefs.

C.J. Stroud and the Texans are playing in Kansas City with a trip to the AFC Championship Game on the line.

Dell suffered injuries including a torn ACL and a dislocated kneecap when catching a touchdown pass from Stroud on Dec. 21, coach DeMeco Ryans told reporters after the loss to the Chiefs.

KPRC2's Aaron Wilson later reported that Dell also suffered MCL and LCL tears alongside meniscus damage and that the likelihood he would play in 2025 is considered "an extremely unlikely scenario."

Earlier this week, Dell shared a photo of himself in a hospital bed. Per Wilson, the procedure was the "first of several surgeries" Dell will undergo on the injured knee.

The injury marks the second time in two NFL seasons that Dell has had to work his way back from a season-ending injury.

Dell fractured his fibula in Week 13 of his rookie 2023 season. He underwent surgery on the injury, which sidelined him for five regular-season games and two playoff contests.

The wide receiver then suffered a "minor wound" in his leg during a shooting at a private event in April, according to the Texans (h/t ESPN's DJ Bien-Aime.)

Dell attended OTAs three weeks after the shooting. He was back for Week 1 and served as one of Stroud's top targets before his latest injury.

In Dell's absence, Stroud will lean on Nico Collins as the Texans fight to oust the reigning Super Bowl champions.

Tensions rose on the Houston Texans' sideline during the team's Divisional playoff clash with the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday.

Texans cornerback Kris Boyd was seen shoving special teams coach Frank Ross after he was assessed an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for taking his helmet off while on the field.

After the game, Boyd explained the altercation and told reporters that he apologized to Ross for his actions.

"I got the ball out. And as I'm getting up, I look at the screen, I see nothing but white, and they're all pointing [the Texans'] way," Boyd said. "So I was like, oh yeah, we got the ball too. Turn over, and I was just turnt."

He added: "I love everybody here. I love my coaches. I never disrespect anybody," Boyd said. "I apologized to everybody. [Ross] told me 'Don't worry about that.'"

The Chiefs opened the game with a 63-yard kickoff return, setting them up to take an early 3-0 lead over Houston. They went on to win 23-14 to reach the AFC Championship Game for the seventh straight season.

The incident wasn't enough to get Boyd benched, as he was back on the field for the next kickoff.

The 28-year-old has experienced issues with penalties throughout the regular season, as he was flagged on six separate occasions (via Pro Football Reference). This included an unnecessary roughness penalty against the Tennessee Titans in Week 18 that later resulted in a $9,526 fine, per Spotrac.

Boyd signed a one-year, $1.7 million contract with the Texans for the 2024 season.

The former seventh-round pick started his career as a member of the Minnesota Vikings from 2019-22, joining the Arizona Cardinals ahead of the 2023 season before he was cut by the team and signed with Houston to close out the year.

Boyd has primarily been utilized on special teams, recording eight tackles and one fumble recovery across 17 appearances during his 2024 campaign. He received a larger defensive role in Week 18 but struggled, allowing three catches and receiving a mere 30.4 grade from Pro Football Focus.

It isn't difficult to imagine Boyd's outburst on the sidelines potentially affecting his future in Houston, as he's set to become a free agent at the end of the year.

He was back on the field as Houston attempted to make its first trip to the AFC Championship Game, though.

The Houston Texans will likely have Joe Mixon available for their AFC Divisional Round playoff game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Mixon is expected to play on Saturday despite being limited in practice this week with an ankle injury.

Mixon was added to Houston's injury report on Wednesday when he was a limited participant in practice.

Ankle problems were an issue for Mixon early in the season. He was on the injury report for four consecutive weeks from Weeks 3-6, including sitting out games against the Minnesota Vikings and Buffalo Bills.

There was no indication during Houston's 32-12 win over the Los Angeles Chargers in the wild-card round that Mixon was hobbled. He played 71 percent of the offensive snaps, his most in a game since Week 13 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Mixon ran for 106 yards and scored a touchdown on 25 carries against the Chargers. It was his highest single-game rushing total since Week 11.

If Mixon can't handle a full workload on Saturday, Dameon Pierce would likely see an increased share of carries against the Chiefs. He did have 176 yards on 19 carries in a Week 18 win over the Tennessee Titans when Mixon was held out.

Dare Ogunbowale would also be in line for snaps in case Mixon is limited.

The Texans are in the AFC Divisional Round for the second straight year and sixth time in franchise history. They are 0-5 and have been outscored by 82 points in their previous five appearances in this round.

Houston will look to become the first team to beat the Chiefs in the playoffs since the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2021 AFC Championship Game.

Kickoff between the Texans and Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium is 4:30 p.m. ET on Saturday afternoon.