Is a Joe Mixon extension priority No. 1 for the Cincinnati Bengals this offseason?
Before the scheduled release, we suggested Mixon might have to wait for the Bengals to figure out something (or not) with A.J. Green. The star wideout’s mid-July deadline for an extension would pass with a result one way or the other, paving the way for talks with Mixon.
But maybe not.
Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin made the rounds for interviews around the schedule release and one of the most interesting topics was the state of talks with Mixon.
In an interview with 700 WLW, Tobin noted the Bengals have been in touch with Mixon and explained why getting something done is a goal, as documented by Fox 19’s Jeremy Rauch:
Notables in there from Tobin, summarized:
“…he is a guy that we have visited with, we’ll go through those discussions and see if there is a fit or a match for a long-term contract with him, obviously a guy we value quite a bit…he’s the type of guy you want to lock up to a long-term deal.”
That doesn’t necessarily sound like a team ready to wait on Green’s situation.
And with this being an odd offseason potentially littered with delays, the Bengals might not even get a chance before mid-July to see if Green’s ankle is actually healthy and capable of holding up — meaning he plays 2020 on the tag and they get back together next offseason.
While there is a positional value conversation worth having when it comes to running backs, Mixon’s approach and leadership role for Zac Taylor atop the production makes him a probable extension candidate, provided the two sides can find common ground.
Extending one of Mixon or Green — if not both, really — would cap off an incredible offseason for the Bengals, to say the least.
