Running back Joe Mixon’s $12.8 million salary cap hit created uncertainty about his future in Cincinnati. Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin cast further doubt at the combine when he said he couldn’t predict the future when asked about Mixon’s status.
Bengals coach Zac Taylor, though, expressed support for Mixon on Saturday.
“His future is here with the team,” Taylor said in his post-draft news conference Saturday, via Ben Baby of ESPN. “I like Joe Mixon.”
The Bengals selected Illinois running back Chase Brown in the fifth round, joining Mixon, Trayveon Williams and Chris Evans on the roster at the position. Samaje Perine, the team’s backup running back, left for the Broncos.
“I knew we needed to add one at some point during the draft and wasn’t really sure what that was going to look like, or where that was going to be,” Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan said. “Obviously, had high regard for Chase kind of all the way through the process. It turns out he was there at the right spot for us.”
Mixon, 26, is participating in the team’s voluntary offseason workouts.
He is accused of pointing a gun at a woman while driving and earlier this month entered a not guilty plea to a misdemeanor aggravated menacing charge.
Mixon ran 210 times for 814 yards and seven touchdowns in 14 games last season and caught 60 passes for 441 yards in a down season compared to his 2021 Pro Bowl season.