Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon has been one of the franchise’s best players since joining the team in 2017. Now more than a year removed from his first Pro Bowl selection, Mixon’s days in Cincinnati could be numbered.
Mixon, selected with the 48th pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, showed early promise as a rookie with 913 scrimmage yards in 14 games. He followed it up with consecutive seasons of 1,400 scrimmage yards. Cincinnati signed him to a four-year, $48 million contract extension in September 2020.
- Joe Mixon stats (2022): 814 rushing yards, 47 first downs, 441 receiving yards
Following an injury-marred 2020 season, Mixon delivered the best year of his career in 2021. The 6-foot-1 running back set career-highs in rushing yards (1,205), rushing touchdowns (13), first downs (60) and scrimmage yards (1,519).
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However, he took a step back in 2022. Despite upgrades made to the offensive line, Mixon’s yards per carry dropped to 3.9. He became far less effective as a runner, totaling just 814 rushing yards in 14 games. He finished the year ranked 34th in yards per touch (4.7), 35th in breakaway runs (six) and 61st in true yards per carry (3.7), according to Player Profiler.
In The Athletic’s overview of potential cap casualties, Bengals’ reporter Jay Morrison wrote that releasing Mixon ‘feels closer to a certainty than a mere possibility’ with the money needed elsewhere this offseason.
“He struggled to get going for much of 2022, and the Bengals got equal production from Samaje Perine at a much lower cost. Even with Perine hitting free agency, the Bengals can bring him back at a more affordable price and look for a younger back… The Bengals envisioned this scenario coming into play when they signed Mixon to a four-year, $48 million contract in 2020, and structured the deal so that they could get out of it two years early without much of a hit.
Jay Morrison of The Athletic on Cincinnati Bengals potentially cutting Joe Mixon
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Given the financial outlook in Cincinnati, it can no longer be viewed as a surprise that Mixon is a potential cap casualty. Both Joe Burrow and Tee Higgins are eligible for contract extensions this offseason and they want to become two of the highest-paid NFL players.
The Bengals also have to think about All-Pro receiver Ja’Marr Chase. While he isn’t ticketed for a contract extension until 2024, a multi-year deal with him might cost at least $30 million per season. For a franchise that isn’t run by one of the richest NFL owners, that creates an issue.
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Considering Cincinnati would create $7.3 million in cap savings by cutting Mixon this spring and there is a belief Samaje Perine can fill the void, a change at running back feels likely. Fortunately for the Bengals, the 2023 NFL Draft running back prospects offers plenty of starting-caliber options to pick from.