The longer Joe Mixon remains on the Cincinnati Bengals roster, the more likely he'll stay with the team.

But the offseason is far from over.

Questions regarding Mixon's value relative to his 2023 cap hit have been aplenty over the last month, and the two gun-related incidents involving, but not incriminating, the former second-round pick haven't eased up the general curiosity.

At the conclusion of this week's owners meetings, Bengals executive vice president Katie Blackburn was asked about the plan with Mixon. Instead of shooting down the question entirely, Blackburn delved into a convoluted answer.

“You never know where things can go," Blackburn told Kelsey Conway of Cincinnati.com. "Right now he's there, and we're gonna plan like that until something different would happen for whatever reason. Like I said, I don't want to say anything's happening, because that's not fair. … You've seen other teams have to make moves. Could we get to that point? Maybe. But it would be down the road. We'd have to see if that's what makes sense or not.”

Translation: Mixon's here until he's not. 

Cincinnati's front office has never been one to open Pandora's box with obvious answers, as is the case for most clubs. That said, they do have plans that will be enacted sooner or later, and clarity will be provided once they're set in motion.

Right now, the plan seems to be holding onto Mixon until further notice. A development like signing Ezekiel Elliott could change things, as could the upcoming NFL Draft. 

The commonality between Blackburn's quote and what Duke Tobin said at the NFL Scouting Combine is there doesn't seem to be a resounding confidence that Mixon will be around for the upcoming season, at least not at his current base salary of $9.4 million. 

When the Bengals lost out on Samaje Perine, who took a two-year, $7.5 million offer to join the Denver Broncos, that was likely the moment Mixon was safe from being let go so soon. There was little chance the club would be willing to commit over $15 million in cap space to both running backs this year. Now that they're left examining their options, Mixon's contract remains safe.

Cap space often gets brought up with Mixon's potential release or taking a pay cut, but the Bengals don't need the space as soon as possible. They'd use the relief to help fit extensions for Joe Burrow and Tee Higgins later this offseason.

What's most important here is that the Bengals typically don't release a notable veteran like Mixon without first securing a replacement. This has happened with Geno Atkins, Bobby Hart, Dre Kirkpatrick, and even Andy Dalton over the years. They almost always find the next man up beforehand.

Mixon has two years remaining on his contract. The Bengals are scheduled to pay him just over $20 million in cash over the next two years, but owe nothing guaranteed.