Zac Taylor thinks Bengals are ‘in the same position’ with Joe Mixon as last season

Zac Taylor doesn’t seem to think Joe Mixon will be playing for someone else next season.

The Cincinnati Bengals have a possible decision to make this offseason regarding running back Joe Mixon. There is talk again of cutting the running back to open up more cap space to spend elsewhere on the team.

Head coach Zac Taylor didn’t seem to change his stance from last year when he said Mixon would be part of the team in 2023.

Here’s what Taylor had to say on the topic at the NFL Scouting Combine via Austin Elmore.

There is no doubt that Mixon’s presence has been welcomed since Taylor took over. He was one of a few young talented pieces who bought into Taylor and his staff’s vision. He has also been one of the most vocal players in the locker room as well.

The thing that gets in the way of keeping him a Bengal for life is the business of it all. The NFL doesn’t invest heavily in the running back position. He is set to have an $8.85 million cap hit. That is the seventh-highest cap hit for next season (currently).

People will point to Mixon’s production last season, but that production isn’t as hard to replace as another position. That is just a harsh truth of the game’s current state, especially when you consider Mixon is one of the worst pass-blocking running backs in the NFL while playing behind what’s already a shaky at best offensive line.

It will be interesting to see what Cincinnati ultimately decides. They haven’t been afraid to hold onto players despite it not making sense in regards to the cap. Last year, they were content to renegotiate his deal to make that space, but the team is in a position where having Tee Higgins with a nearly $21 million cap hit that they’ll need the space more than ever.

Despite Mixon’s history with the team, he makes plenty of sense to make the move with, or at least get him to take another paycut. It doesn’t appear likely that Mixon will be back next season on his current deal.