There has been a lot of discussion about what the Cincinnati Bengals could do with their backfield heading into training camp. Veteran Joe Mixon was reportedly on the chopping block as the team was seeking a more explosive option at the running back position, but also to save some money.
Alas, Mixon won’t be going anywhere. The Bengals agreed to restructure his contract at the end of last week, which ensures that he will remain in Cincinnati for at least one more season. His agent, Peter Schaeffer, told the news to Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Mixon’s contract was non-guaranteed for 2023 at $9.4 million in case salary with a cap hit of $12.8 million. Both of those numbers will be lowered a good amount as the slashing of running back salaries around the league continues.
The Oklahoma product has spent the first six seasons of his professional career with the Bengals. He is an integral part of their game plan offensively but saw his production take a dip in 2022 as he didn’t get close to the Pro Bowl numbers that he put up during the 2021 season.
His 3.9 yards per carry average leaves a lot to be desired as the team could use a more explosive option out of the backfield. Alas, he is important to the game plan given how strong of a contributor that he is during passing downs.
Mixon isn’t the first high-profile running back to take a pay cut to remain with his current team as Aaron Jones of the Green Bay Packers did the same thing. Tony Pollard, Josh Jacobs and Saquon Barkley all received the franchise tag from their respective teams.
Miles Sanders’ contract with the Carolina Panthers, which pays just over $6 million annually, was the largest multi-year deal signed by a running back this offseason. It is something that has peeved backs around the league as other positions are cashing in on lucrative deals and their market is being diminished.
