One prominent player on the Cincinnati Bengals likely won’t be sharing the backfield with Joe Burrow any longer.
Jay Morrison of The Athletic lists Bengals RB Joe Mixon as a cap casualty this offseason for the team. The move could save the team $7.3 million. Morrison adds that the team could bring back RB Samaje Perine at a cheaper price and look for a younger running back in the draft or free agency.
Mixon has played a huge role in the Bengals’ offense over the past two seasons as he rushed for 814 yards and 7 touchdowns this season and set career-highs in the passing game with 60 catches for 441 yards.
The former Oklahoma star rushed for a career-high 1,205 yards and scored 16 total touchdowns in 2021.
Samaje Perine’s 4.1 yards per carry was actually slightly better than Mixon’s 3.9 and he caught 38 passes for 287 yards and averaged 7.6 yards per reception. Mixon averaged 7.3 yards per catch. It seems like a no-brainer at this point.
Reallocating $7.3 million saved from releasing Mixon “feels closer to a certainty than a mere possibility,” per The Athletic article.
