The Cincinnati Bengals have reportedly planned to part ways with their veteran running back Joe Mixon according to NBC’s Matthew Berry. Cincinnati would save an extra $6.1 million in cap space for this year’s free agency period starting after the March 11th deadline. The Bengals will have over $56 million to spend with the release of Mixon according to Spotrac’s salary cap tracker.
Joe Mixon Produced 4th 1,000-Yard Season in 2023 for Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati struggled with injuries on both sides of the ball and couldn’t find a rhythm early in the season. Star quarterback Joe Burrow was ruled out for the season after Week 11 and the offense was forced to lean more on the run game.
Mixon took advantage of that opportunity and stepped it up in the last 6 games. Running for an average of 92.8 scrimmage yards per game and produced a big role as a receiver out of the backfield. Mixon also scored 7 touchdowns in that span and was awarded a Pro Bowl nomination as a reserve. This is the 4th season throughout his career reaching the 1,000-yard rushing mark.
Mixon Will Likely Receive Interest from Multiple Teams in Free Agency if Released
Mixon, who will be 28 years old heading into next season will end his Bengals career and look to sign with a new team if he is indeed released. After another 1,000-yard season, he will likely see interest from multiple teams heading into free agency. However, there are a multitude of running backs heading in the same direction including Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry, Josh Jacobs and even more.
If the reports of Mixon being released are confirmed, Cincinnati would likely turn to second-year running back Chase Brown. Who showed potential towards the end of the season as Mixon’s backup and saw more snaps as the year went on.
For More Football News
Follow me on Twitter at JHadawi2! To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in Football, click here! For a free $50 in bonus bets on FanDuel Sportsbook, click here!