New Delhi, July 24 -- HOUSTON - Joe Mixon told former Cincinnati Bengals teammates that he will not play professional football again, NFL reporter Aaron Wilson confirmed Thursday, ending the career of a running back who produced five 1,000-yard rushing seasons and 62 touchdowns across a decade in the league. Mixon is 30 years old. No formal retirement announcement has accompanied the word he passed to people who know him best, but Wilson's report leaves little open to interpretation.

The injury that finished him did not happen on a field. Wilson reported that Mixon dropped a weight on his foot during an offseason workout, then sought treatment outside the Houston Texans' medical structure. "He may have dropped a weight on his foot, and t...