During the first day of the NFL’s legal tampering period, one of the biggest surprises came in the form of the Cincinnati Bengals’ approach to the running back position.
With high profile players such as Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs and Austin Ekeler off the board, the Bengals reportedly agreed to terms with Zack Moss on a two-year, $8 million deal. Cincinnati reportedly subsequently released its longtime starting running back Joe Mixon, in a move that saved the Bengals $6.1 million in cap space.
While it wasn’t necessarily a surprise to see Cincinnati acquire a running back, many were stunned to see the Bengals part ways with Mixon and do so in such a callous manner. As Warren Sharp of SharpFootball.com pointed out, Cincinnati’s handling of Mixon meant that the Oklahoma product didn’t hit the open market until well after several other teams had already secured deals with other running backs, thus limiting his list of potential suitors.
“NFL can be a cold, cold business,” Sharp wrote. “The Bengals didn’t let Joe Mixon get a taste of the fully open RB market instead, they waited to cut him after securing his replacement while 8+ other starting RB positions on other teams were filled with signings earlier today.”
Sharp also noted that “similar happened with Aaron Jones today in Green Bay. Both players had played 7+ years for the teams that drafted them but both were cut & shipped to the back of the unemployment line well after most teams spent top RB $$$”
NFL can be a cold, cold business
the Bengals didn't let Joe Mixon get a taste of the fully open RB market
instead, they waited to cut him after securing his replacement while 8+ other starting RB positions on other teams were filled with signings earlier today
similar happened…
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) March 12, 2024
It will be interesting to see where Mixon, who is the Bengals’ third all-time leading rusher and coming off a 2023 campaign in which he rushed for 1,034 yards and nine touchdowns winds up. Meanwhile, Jones appears to have already found a new home, with The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reporting that the former Packers running back will remain in the NFC North, agreeing to terms with the Minnesota Vikings.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.