The Bengals have locked up their star running back for the next 5 years. On Tuesday afternoon, it was announced that Cincinnati and Joe Mixon have agreed on a 4-year deal worth 48 million dollars that will tie him to the club for the next 5 years, per Ian Rapoport:
On a team that earned only a 2-14 record in 2019, Mixon was one of the only bright spots managing 1424 yards from scrimmage. Since his arrival in Cincinnati as a 2nd-round pick in 2017, Mixon has rushed for a total of 2931 yards and 17 touchdowns, as well as 841 receiving yards in 3 seasons. Despite not being a first-round pick, the Oklahoma product showed a massive upside in college and it was more than likely his off the field issues that made him drop to day two.
With the arrival of rookie quarterback Joe Burrow, Mixon is poised to have a massive season as the Bengals attempt to take as much pressure off of the number 1 overall pick as possible in 2020.
At 12 Million per year, this extension will make Mixon the 6th-highest paid running back in the NFL (per year average) behind Christian McCaffrey, Ezekiel Elliott, Le’Veon Bell, David Johnson and Derrick Henry. In a devaluing running back market, the Bengals must see Mixon as an integral part of their franchise moving forward for them to give him a 48 million dollar extension.
The news comes after a series of reports stating that Mixon has been sidelined for more than a week due to migraines, despite the fact that he’s been observing practice looking completely fine. If these issues continue during the season, this extension might be a very expensive mistake for the Bengals this season.
More to come.
