Joe Mixon and the Bengals have agreed to a restructured contract that will see the former Pro Bowl return to Cincinnati for the 2023 season, according to several reports.
Mixon was entering the third year of a four-year, $48 million contract and owed $9.4 million in base salary this season, which was not guaranteed. The terms of the restructured deal were not immediately clear.
Mixon’s new contract comes as NFL running backs face a stagnant market that no longer values the position as it once did. Some of the league’s best fullbacks struggle to find compensation that matches what they believe is commensurate with their talent and contributions.
Four-time Pro Bowl running back Dalvin Cook remains a free agent at 27 after being released by the Minnesota Vikings. Fellow Pro Bowlers Saquon Barkley and Josh Jacobs — the 2022 NFL running champion — are preparing to hold their own as training camp approaches under franchise tags and without long-term extensions.
Mixon’s status for 2023 was uncertain as he entered the upcoming season on an unsecured contract. Now he’ll play at least one more season as a key cog in a high-powered offense alongside quarterback Joe Burrow and receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. The group led the Bengals to back-to-back trips to the AFC Championship Game and a Super Bowl berth after the 2021 season.