The running back position is not an easy one to play in the NFL, either on the field or in the marketplace. No other player takes more of a beating in either dimension—and the two are not unrelated. Part of the reason that running backs struggle to capitalize on and maintain their status in the open market is precisely because of durability issues on the field.
This offseason has already been unkind to running backs, with guys like Dalvin Cook and Leonard Fournette having their contracts terminated. There had been much debate over whether or not Joe Mixon of the Cincinnati Bengals might join them. Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic still believes that’s very much a possibility.
“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”, he wrote recently. “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”.
The chatter about Mixon’s future has been loud enough that the team has had to address it multiple times. Shortly after the draft, head coach Zac Taylor went out of his way to tell reporters that “His future is here with the team”.
But it’s not uncommon for teams to say the right things in public while privately working behind the scenes to make changes. That includes considerations of releasing players if they can’t work something out financially. Mixon has the fourth-highest contract for running backs at $12 million per season, behind only Christian McCaffrey, Alvin Kamara, Derrick Henry, and Nick Chubb. He is scheduled to earn $10.1 million in 2023, not including prorated salary.
As Dehner pointed out, this offseason has been particularly unremarkable for running backs, noting that Aaron Jones took a substantial pay cut to keep his job, with Miles Sanders signing the largest contract at the position at under $6.5 million per year. Many notable backs are still looking for jobs.
Mixon is coming off of a relatively workaday season, though he also missed time due to injury and was limited to 14 games. He rushed for 814 yards with seven touchdowns, averaging 3.9 yards per carry, though he added 60 receptions for 441 yards and two more touchdowns. Five of those nine touchdowns came in one game, so he had four in the other 13.
If the Bengals don’t want to pay Mixon over $10 million this season, they have alternatives on the veteran market. Aside from those named, there are also options like Kareem Hunt and Marlon Mack to consider.
There’s also the fact that Mixon has pending charges against him stemming from a January incident for aggravated menacing. The Bengals are well aware of the matter, of course, including the time Taylor made the above statement, but that doesn’t mean they’re not weighing it behind closed doors. Still, if they were going to make such a move, isn’t it likely they would have made it by now? Or are they pushing that hard for a pay cut?
