Joe Mixon Diagnosed with Concussion After Big Hit During Steelers vs. Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals announced running back Joe Mixon suffered a concussion in the first half of Monday's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Paul Brown Stadium and was ruled out for the remainder of the contest.

The Bengals drafted Mixon in the second round with the hope of bolstering a rushing attack that was a solid but unspectacular 13th in the league in yards per game last season.

Mixon had 484 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the ground before Monday in his rookie season for the Bengals.

His explosiveness was clear in his final collegiate campaign at Oklahoma when he tallied 1,274 rushing yards, 538 receiving yards and 15 total touchdowns and helped lead the Sooners to a Big 12 championship and Sugar Bowl victory over Auburn.

The Bengals still have Giovani Bernard to rely on if Mixon is forced to miss significant time.

While Mixon will be a critical piece in the future for Cincinnati, Bernard has helped anchor the rushing attack in recent years and can keep it afloat until the rookie is ready to return.