The Houston Texans and the Los Angeles Chargers face each other on Saturday in what is probably the closest duel of Wild Card Weekend.

Both organizations made big changes last offseason. The Chargers hired former Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh, while the Texans added stars across the board in running back Joe Mixon, edge rusher Danielle Hunter and wide receiver Stefon Diggs.

Fans shouldn’t let Hunter’s dominance alongside former No. 3 overall pick Will Anderson Jr. distract from the impressive campaign Mixon is having in his first year in Houston.

But if Mixon is so successful in Texas, it begs the question of why the Cincinnati Bengals allowed Houston to sign him in the first place.

How did the Houston Texans get Joe Mixon?

The Bengals selected Mixon in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft and he spent his first seven seasons in Cincinnati. The front office placed a lot of faith in the running back by giving him a lucrative four-year, $48 million contract in 2020.

Mixon did not play long under this generous agreement. In the summer of 2023, he restructured the contract to secure his place on the roster and further extend the Bengals’ Super Bowl window.

Still, Cincinnati felt like his salary didn’t match his level of play. Not to mention, much bigger financial hurdles were looming with wide receivers Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase both looking for new deals.

The Bengals had originally planned to move on from Mixon via release, but of course no assets were gained in that situation. So the alternative was to trade him for whatever assets they could find.

Houston was coming off a year in which it fell behind the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Divisional Round. In the season finale, Devin Singletary was the Texans’ leading rusher, finishing the game with nine carries for 22 yards.

This made it clear that sophomore quarterback CJ Stroud needed a new backfield partner. The Texans only had to give up a future seventh-round pick for Mixon.

The trade initially surprised Mixon.

“I have to say it was definitely shocking,” Mixon told reporters earlier this year. “It took 24 to 48 hours for it to hurt. It took a while and I still feel emotional about it. … But this is the place I can feel like my home forever.”

After the trade, the Texans front office boldly signed Mixon to a three-year contract worth up to $25.5 million, including $16 million guaranteed.

This season, Mixon gave the Texans exactly what they needed, as the second-time Pro Bowler finished the year with 1,016 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns while also adding 36 receptions for 309 receiving yards.

The Texans will need Mixon to continue playing at a high level for their struggling offense to find success against Harbaugh and the Chargers.