After the Cincinnati Bengals made it clear Samaje Perine will have a bigger role and drafted Michigan’s Chris Evans late in the 2021 NFL draft, it’s almost easy to forget one thing:
The Cincinnati backfield still belongs to Joe Mixon.
Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan just made that much clear, according to Jay Morrison of The Athletic:
“I don’t want Joe to leave the field, personally, and I think he’s up to that challenge. He has some things he has to improve pass-protection-wise. Joe shouldn’t come off the field. He should be on the field every down. He’s aware of that.”
The Bengals have been very blatant about that pass-protection point with Mixon in the past, taking him off the field in critical situations.
That luxury is now gone after the team cut Giovani Bernard. While Perine is good in pass protection too and there is still plenty of hope for Trayveon Williams, the Bengals would clearly like Mixon to be that every-down back they paid him to be.
Mixon only played in six games last year and wasn’t trending toward this type of role then, either. But the team hopes he’s healthy and ready for more than ever, which could lead to his best season to date.
