The Cincinnati Bengals running game wasn’t as good as it has been in the 2023 season, and Joe Mixon and his contract have been a popular topic of conversation again this offseason despite the fact that he already took a pay cut last year.
ESPN listed 32 players who might benefit from a change of scenery going into next year, one from each team, and Mixon was the player from the Bengals they thought it might help.
Here’s what Ben Baby of ESPN said about Mixon:
Mixon restructured his contract in 2023 to lower his cap hit. While Mixon was productive last season in gaining more than 1,400 scrimmage yards, even a reduction to his cap charge of $8.5 million might not be enough of a reason for the team to keep him in his current role.
Rookie Chase Brown proved he could be useful for the Bengals when he got time last season, so they do have an option to pivot to if they decide to move on from Mixon in some fashion.
Director of player personnel Duke Tobin said he was happy with Mixon’s performance last season but didn’t commit to saying what type of role he will have on the team next season.
If the Bengals do elect to release Mixon, they would save $6.1 million in cap space, which could be a big motivator to make that move.
