Bengals' Mike Brown, Duke Tobin laud Joe Mixon following pay cut
The prelude for the Cincinnati Bengals finalizing major financial decisions in the coming weeks was running back Joe Mixon agreeing to a reworked contract that will cut both his pay and cap hits for the next two seasons. Such a transaction can't transpire without the commitment of the party who's sacrificing money. "I was proud […]
The prelude for the Cincinnati Bengals finalizing major financial decisions in the coming weeks was running back Joe Mixon agreeing to a reworked contract that will cut both his pay and cap hits for the next two seasons. Such a transaction can't transpire without the commitment of the party who's sacrificing money.
"I was proud of the way he did that," director of player personnel Duke Tobin said of Mixon's handling of the agreement. "He's the guy that we think he is. He's a motivated player who wants to win."
Tobin wasn't the only one who expressed appreciation for Mixon taking one for the team.
Mike Brown, the man who signs all the checks in the building, is well aware of the other checks he'll have to write soon for Mixon's teammates. It's where his gratitude for Mixon's agreement stems from, which was evident during his time speaking at the Bengals' annual media luncheon to kickoff the new season.
The salary cap is not becoming any friendlier for the Bengals, or as Brown puts it, the pie isn't getting any bigger.
"I'm appreciative that Joe did what he did," Brown said of his running back taking on a reduced contract. "He agreed to help out. We have a cap, the cap's like a big pie. Every team has the same pie, you have to distribute pieces. Pretty soon there are no pieces left. That's what Joe did—he stepped up and said 'Well I'll take a little thinner slice.' A little bit more to distribute to some other guys.
"There's only so many pieces in the pie, and he made it a little bit easier on us. We still have very difficult situation because we have guys that want to get paid. Understandably they want to get what they can get."
Mixon got what he could get all the way back in 2020, when a trip to the Super Bowl and back-to-back AFC Championship game appearances was but a vision. Instead of being ousted from $20 million he had yet to earn on the original deal and look for a new team, the 2021 Pro Bowl running back decided to stick around for about $11.5 million through 2024 to seek more runs at the Lombardi Trophy.
And who could blame him? The running back market is a desolate wasteland with notable names still searching for work. Brown is not lost on this new reality and how it pertains to the league as a whole.
"An interesting problem. I've seen it happen at other positions," Brown said of the devaluation of running backs. "And I've seen it go the other way where other positions were highly valued than they have been. Right now the one that's in play is running back. The pay has gone down and the theory seems to be that if you can't do it, we'll get have another guy step in there. It's become a passing game, this league. That's what matters most, you have to throw the ball successfully to be a top team."
Fortunately, his team is built exactly like it should be. An elite quarterback targeting elite receivers with an elite defense is a recipe for success that can be sustained. The Bengals have won 27 meaningful football games in the past two years, and there not showing any signs of slowing down.
Mixon's part in ensuring that quarterback and his receivers stick around is not lost on the people who matter the most.
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Featured image via © Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK
