It looks like running back Joe Mixon will be staying in Cincinnati for his seventh season in the NFL.
Mixon and the Bengals are finalizing a restructured contract for the 2023 season, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported on Friday, per sources.
Mixon was due $10.1 million this season with a $12.791 million cap number.
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Saturday morning that Mixon's reworked deal now includes a base salary of $5.51 million for 2023, with an extra $2 million available in incentives. This means Mixon took pay cuts of $4.39 million and $4.67 million for the next two years to stay with Cincy.
Mixon's future with the Bengals was up in the air heading into the offseason. But after the Bengals didn't dip into the RB market in free agency and waited until Day 3 of the 2023 NFL Draft to take a RB, it appeared more likely that Mixon would stay put in the only city he's called home during his NFL career.
"Joe just agreed to a restructuring of his deal. His goal is to win a Super Bowl and play his career in Cincinnati, and this is the best way to accomplish these goals," Mixon's agent, Peter Schaffer, said on Friday, per Pelissero.
In 2022, Mixon rushed for 814 yards on 210 attempts and scored seven touchdowns, but the 26-year-old also only played (and started) 14 games. That production was a step below his 2021 campaign when he rushed for 1,205 yards on 292 attempts and scored 13 touchdowns to make his first Pro Bowl. Mixon has proved to be a reliable player in the backfield for Cincinnati, and now he looks to use those talents to help Cincy return to the Super Bowl and win a ring.
Now that the Mixon situation is resolved, the Bengals should continue to be a powerful force out on the field, especially with an offense led by superstar quarterback Joe Burrow and wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd.
