Cincinnati Bengals star running back Joe Mixon appeared in a Hamilton County court on Wednesday to enter a plea stemming from charges of aggravated menacing.
Mixon, 26, opted to plead not guilty after being accused of threatening and pointing a gun at a woman in Cincinnati earlier this year.
Back in February, a warrant was initially issued before it was dismissed the next day. Cincinnati police then refiled the charge following the discovery of new evidence.
“This decision was reached following the discovery of new evidence during the investigative process to preserve a fair and impartial judicial process for all parties involved, no investigatory details or evidence will be disclosed outside of official court proceedings.”
Cincinnati police statement on charges against Joe Mixon
A second-round pick of the Bengals out of Oklahoma back in 2017, Mixon is being accused of pointing a gun at a woman during a road rage incident back on Jan. 21.
It allegedly took place around 12:49 p.m. local time, immediately before Mixon was set to arrive at the Bengals’ facility to travel for a playoff game against the Buffalo Bills.
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Joe Mixon’s Cincinnati Bengals career is up in the air
This comes amid multiple reports that the Bengals have requested Mixon take a pay cut or face the real possibility of being released. The troubled Pro Bowl running back is set to count $12.76 million against the cap in 2023.
On the field, Mixon has performed at a high level in six seasons with the Bengals. That includes four seasons with north of 1,000 total yards.
- Joe Mixon stats (2022): 210 attempts, 814 rushing yards, 60 receptions, 441 receiving yards, 1,255 total yards, 9 TD
If Mixon is ultimately released, he’ll receive a soft market in free agency. In addition to this most-recent incident, the former Oklahoma star entered the NFL in 2017 with a ton of baggage.
He was seen on video punching a woman during his time with the Sooners, leading to the program suspending him for a year. Mixon ultimately entered an Alford plea, meaning that he didn’t admit guilt but understood there was enough evidence for conviction. Said plea came with a deferred sentence and probation.