Will Texans running back Joe Mixon play against the Patriots in Week 6?

With a little luck, the Texans will be able to count on the services of their rusher when Sunday’s game against the Patriots kicks off. Needless to say, that’s good news but the way in which he was hurt still casts a shadow on the league.

Joe Mixon could face the Patriots in Week 6

According to reports, the Houston Texans could see the return of running back Joe Mixon for Sunday’s game against the New England Patriots. Should that prove to be the case, the Week 6 game will mark the first time that Mixon has played since suffering an ankle injury in Week 2. Be that as it may, it’s now clear that Mixon has not forgotten the tackle that hurt him and he made that known following Thursday’s practice session with the Texans. To be clear, the 28-year-old was tackled by Chicago Bears linebacker T.J. Edwards with a hip-drop tackle, a tackle that the NFL banned during this most recent offseason and subsequently stated would be clamping down on going forward.

To that end, it’s worth noting that Edwards was not penalized in-game for his tackle and was later fined the small sum of $16,833 by the league. As for Mixon, he wasn’t having in. Following the game, the Oklahoma standout didn’t hold back as he took to social media where he made it clear how he felt about the lack of penalty for Edwards. It didn’t stop there either as just last week Mixon focused on the NFLPA’s statement regarding the recent media access debate. “Player safety is what matters & should be the focus, not media access,” he wrote. Then on Thursday, Mixon once again voiced his opinion in a clear sign that he is not satisfied.

See also: Week 6 NFL injury round-up

“I was the No. 1 leader in rushing. I was stopped because of that weak-ass hip-drop tackle,” Mixon said. “I can’t do nothing about that. It’s frustrating, it is what it is. I want to be out there more than anybody.” Now, it should be said that one of the major sticking points for Mixon is the manner in which the league has seemingly dealt with players who were trying to protect themselves i.e., lowering their helmets at the moment they were about to receive a tackle. Strangely, said players were given heavier fines than those who were giving the tackles.

“You got guys out here protecting themselves from hits and they are getting fined $45,000 and $50,000,” Mixon said. “And for an illegal hip drop tackle they’re getting fined $16,000 when it’s supposed to be an emphasis, it’s supposed to be taken out of the game. So obviously the priorities ain’t right with what’s going on. It is frustrating to see, but it is what it is. If we’re going to talk about playing the game the right way, we got to have integrity for the game when it comes to it.” Where context is concerned, both Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs and Seattle Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet were fined $45,020 (more than one offense), while Mixon’s teammate, Nico Collins, was hit for $22,511 for “Unnecessary Roughness (use of the helmet)” in recent weeks. Ultimately, there has been no official word that Mixon will play in Week 6 but his presence in practice on Thursday is an encouraging sign. Stay tuned.