The Cincinnati Bengals have plenty of big decisions to make this offseason yet somehow, the Joe Mixon extension dilemma has managed to fall on the back burner slightly.
It’s an interesting topic though, both for the potential Mixon could hold out as well as the polarizing nature of paying running backs big money these days.
Yet in an effort to make predictions for all 32 teams, ESPN tossed out a $45 million-guarantee extension for Mixon, courtesy of Ben Baby:
“Mixon, who has rushed for more than 1,000 yards in each of the past two seasons, has been one of the NFL’s most productive running backs and is looking to be compensated accordingly. The Bengals have historically been willing to re-sign their top guys and that shouldn’t change with the 23-year-old Mixon, who will be a building block for the Bengals’ rebuilding process.”
Not a bad way to avoid a contract standoff and keep one of the team’s best players on the field, right?
In the context of most other franchises, the debate about paying big money for a running back would run wild. In Cincinnati, the front office usually takes care of its own at a fair price, so there isn’t much of a reason to suspect anything otherwise here — regardless of the “running backs don’t matter” conversation.
Ezekiel Elliott currently leads the NFL at the position in annual salary at $15 million and checked in at about $50 million in guarantees, for context.
