Joe Mixon's future in Cincinnati hinges on contract situation

Joe Mixon‘s future with the Cincinnati Bengals is looking more and more murky at the moment.

While the former Oklahoma Sooners running back has become one of the focal points of the Bengals offense since his arrival to the franchise, Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic is theorizing Cincinnati could look to move off of Mixon’s lofty contract, looking elsewhere for cheaper and similar results.

“As for Mixon, he was involved, saying the right things, doing the right things and looked every bit a core part of the offense for 2023 during the offseason program,” wrote Dehner. “That’s great news for the Bengals, who still really like what he brings to the table.

“The endgame will be about whether or not he’s willing to realign his $12.8 million cap hit and $10 million in cash to the current state of the running back market. If he’s not, the Bengals will probably tap into the veteran backwaters that are currently overflowing with victims of the philosophical shift away from paying the position.”

Additionally, it’s not simply a matter of on the field production versus Mixon’s contract. The veteran running back is also dealing with a litany of legal issues, as well. That, coupled with the NFL’s newfound stance of simply not paying running backs this offseason, is all working against Mixon for 2023.

“All that before we even broach Mixon’s legal issues, which include a case still unsettled against him for the aggravated menacing incident in January,” added Dehner. “The NFL could potentially have its own punishment on that matter, as well.

“For as much as Mixon has been the primary topic of conversation these last few months, his situation hasn’t even come to a head yet.”

Alas, it’s evident that Dehner believes Mixon’s situation is far from figured out, and he could even be a late cut for Cincinnati. For someone that’s been as involved in the offense as Mixon, that would be an unceremonious end to his time with the only franchise he’s known.

Still, it can’t be ignored that we’re seeing running backs many would consider better than Mixon, for example former Minnesota Vikings star Dalvin Cook and New York Giants playmaker Saquon Barkey, have trouble getting the money they deserve. Both players are going to have to settle for less due to the running back market.

While Joe Mixon remains an exciting player, the juice may not be worth the squeeze for Cincinnati in 2023, and it’ll be fascinating to see what the Bengals do with him.