From the moment the Bengals gave running back Joe Mixon 23 snaps in the AFC Championship and Samaje Perine 43, it has seemed that the Bengals have been thinking about moving on from Mixon.
The more accurate description could be that they’ll happily keep him, if he’ll move down his salary and cap number.
Writes Paul Dehner, Jr. of TheAthletic.com, regarding Mixon: “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.”
That’s a long and winding way of saying the Bengals will ask him to take a pay cut or invite him to take a hike.
The question becomes when the Bengals will bring things to a head, if they indeed do. Once camp starts, the Bengals risk Mixon suffering a season-ending injury before he reduces his pay. The deeper a standoff lasts into camp, however, the fewer options — if any — Mixon will have elsewhere.
The Bengals need to identify the spots where they can save money, given that quarterback Joe Burrow is due to get a major second contract now, as is receiver Tee Higgins. Receiver Ja’Marr Chase will be due to get his own after the 2023 regular season ends.
Without Mixon, it’s unclear who would run the ball for the Bengals. Perine signed with the Broncos. The Bengals selected running back Chase Brown in the fifth round of April’s draft. Also on the roster are Chris Evans, Jacob Saylors, Calvin Tyler Jr., and Trayveon Williams.
Veteran alternatives to Mixon include Dalvin Cook, Ezekiel Elliott, Kareem Hunt, Leonard Fournette, and Mark Ingram.
The best move for the Bengals would be to keep Mixon. Whether they can do it remains to be seen.
If they don’t, where he goes next could be very interesting. He turns 27 next month, and he’s still got plenty of tread on the tires and gas in the tank.
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