In the wake of the two pilots—Captain Jeff Gregory and Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras—who were killed in a plane crash in Florida, former NFL running back Joe Mixon revealed he was recently on a flight with them.
Mixon took to X, formerly Twitter, to send an emotional message to the pilots' families. He is “absolutely devastated” by the news, especially since he recently flew with Gregory and Filgueiras.
“Absolutely devastated by yesterday’s tragic plane crash in Florida and the loss of all nine lives. I flew on that exact aircraft last month with those same two pilots,” Mixon revealed. “They were incredible professionals and genuinely wonderful people. Hearing the young woman’s story and learning about the bright future she had ahead of her makes it even more heartbreaking that her life was cut so short. [broken heart emoji]”
“My heart, thoughts, and prayers go out to the grieving families and loved ones of everyone on board. A tragic reminder of how fragile life is. Love on your loved ones while you can, because you never know what tomorrow may bring,” he added.
Gregor and Filgueiras were killed on a flight that took off from Austin, Texas, that was heading to the Bahamas. It crashed after hitting severe weather in Florida.
Mixon is best known for his time with the Cincinnati Bengals, who drafted him in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft out of Oklahoma. He spent the first seven years with the Bengals before he was traded to the Houston Texans.
His stint with the Texans lasted two seasons. He had a solid 2024, rushing for over 1,000 yards for the fifth time in his career and scoring 11 touchdowns on the ground.
He then missed the whole 2025 season with an injury before being cut by the Texans. Mixon was going to be signed by the Seattle Seahawks before opting not to after his physical examination.