Bengals RB Joe Mixon declines to speak to media, calls out specific reporters

Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon has declined to speak to a handful of specific reporters, according to Pro Football Talk. The news comes just a few days after Mixon was found not guilty of a misdemeanor aggravated menacing charge related to an alleged road rage incident.

Mixon had his first opportunity to speak to media since the ruling on Sunday. Initially, an ESPN report indicated that the running back would not talk with specific outlets: ESPN.com, the Cincinnati Enquirer and Sports Illustrated.

However, Mixon clarified to PFT that he will speak with all those outlets, just not specific reporters. Those individuals include Ben Baby, Kelsey Conway, James Rapien and Jay Morrison.

“It’s not happening,” Mixon responded when he was asked a question. When asked to explain how he was disrespected, the running back said, “You know how.”

Per PFT, Mixon appears most frustrated with Baby. Following his meeting with the media, Baby tweeted about the situation.

“Bengals RB Joe Mixon declined to speak to reporters today,” Baby wrote. “He said he also said he won’t be taking questions from certain reporters for ‘disrespectful behavior.’ He declined to elaborate what that meant as he retreated to the team’s training room.”

Mixon’s agent, Peter Schaffer, responded to the comment.

“You know exactly why we don’t talk to you,” he said. “You consistently look for the negative and always are putting the players down. We have given you ample chances to correct the situation and you refuse. You made your bed now sleep in it. Don’t tweet to people that you don’t know why.”

You know exactly why we don’t talk to you. You consistently look for the negative and always are putting the players down.

We have given you ample chances to correct the situation and you refuse. You made your bed now sleep in it. Don’t tweet to people that you don’t know why.

— Peter Schaffer (@peterjschaffer) August 20, 2023

Last week, Mixon was found not guilty in his alleged aggravated menacing case. A 43-year-old woman claimed Mixon pulled a gun on her in a heated dispute on a Cincinnati roadway. He pleaded not guilty of the misdemeanor charge in April.

After the ruling, Schaffer released a statement on the court’s decision.

“Knowing the facts, knowing Joe as a person and having tremendous faith in the legal system’s ability to get to the truth, we had no doubt of the eventual outcome,” Schaffer said. “This vindicates Joe as a person and that is what’s most important. Back to the business of football. huge shout out to both Joe’s legal team and Mark Herron, the Bengals’ security director.”

Mixon enters his seventh season in the NFL in 2023, spending all of it in Cincinnati. He’s racked up 5,378 rushing yards and accounted for 50 total touchdowns with the Bengals.