The Houston Texans new starring running back is considered a top five running back; to everyone’s surprise.

The Houston Texans landed Joe Mixon this offseason to replace Devin Singletary. A move that many thought was a slight upgrade at best, and a more lateral move at worst. The issue with his arrival didn’t come until the team gave him a brand new, massive contract. Pushing 30, Mixon may not be the back he used to be, and even if he is, that’s still not a huge get for the team.

He’s someone who hasn’t really shown a lot of high-end ability. Guys like Derrick Henry and Nick Chubb tore up defenses with yards-per-carry at or pushing 5.0. Mixon usually averaed 4.0 or worse. Fine enough, but nothing special. Was that due to his prior team’s offenisve line? The Cinncinnati Bengals didn’t have the best one, but then again, neither does the Houston Texans.

So if Mixon struggled in Cincinnati due to the line, then he’ll likely struggle in Houston too.

Despite all that discourse, the folks at Madden decided that not only were these concerns unfounded, but that he was one of the five best in the game. Mixon ranked fifth overall, earning a 91 rating, ahead of names like Jonathan Talor, Aaron Jones, and Josh Jacobs.

Do the Texans have a top-five running back? Well, not if you look at the fans around the league you don’t.

As everyone always says, Joe Mixon is a top 5 NFL RB in the year of 2024. Totally.

— Pats Buzz (@PatsBuzz) July 30, 2024

While these are just some of the reactions to Mixon’s rating, they aren’t the only ones. Many are baffled at Mixons’ ratings and for good reasons. A 90+ in Madden is considered the game’s elite of the elite. While Mixon has had a high usage rate, he has never truly been an elite player. He’s not a bad player by any means. Yet, the man only has one Pro Bowl to his credit, a pretty clear sign that he was never seen as one of the best in the league.

So why would we think that now, pushing 30, Mixon is better than he’s ever been? Something doesn’t add up.