Joe Mixon Talks Rumors of Potential Release over Contract: Bengals 'Backed Me 100%'

Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon hasn't questioned his level of organizational support despite his future being the subject of speculation throughout the NFL offseason.

"[Mike Brown is] the owner, and he makes the decisions, and he embraced me since day one. And I love Mike, and I know Mike loves me too, so that's a great thing to have," Mixon said to All Bengals' Elise Jesse. "I feel like our front office, everybody is great to me, and everybody has backed me 100 percent. And it's a great feeling to have the love and support that I get from them continuously. Words really don't explain how much that means to me."

Mixon is due to count for $12.8 million against the salary cap in 2023, which is the third-biggest hit for a running back. By cutting him, the Bengals would save $10 million against the cap this season, with $2.8 million counting as dead money across each of the next two years.

The 26-year-old ran for 814 yards and seven touchdowns and caught 60 passes for 441 yards and two scores in 2022. His performance fell off slightly from 2021, when he eclipsed 1,000 yards on the ground and made the Pro Bowl for the first time.

Mixon's sizable salary doesn't necessarily match his on-field value, and moving on carries obvious financial benefits.

However, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported Monday that "there hasn't been a lot of momentum around" releasing Mixon. Instead, Cincinnati's focus with the backfield was improving around the margins, which it did by selecting Illinois running back Chase Brown in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL draft.

If Mixon were to go, Brown or Trayveon Williams would become the No. 1 option in the running game. Leaning on an unproven replacement is less than ideal for a franchise with Super Bowl aspirations.

There's still time for the situation to change, but it looks like Mixon will remain on the roster when Cincinnati opens the season Sept. 10 against the Cleveland Browns.