Chiefs Super Bowl Win Cements Running Back Mantra For Championship Teams
CINCINNATI — Another Super Bowl has come and gone, stamping one thing home for the Cincinnati Bengals: it's time to release Joe Mixon.
The running back is set to make $9.4 million in base salary next season.
History says the Bengals have no shot at winning Super Bowl LVIII if they don't release him and save between $7-10 million against the 2023 salary cap (depending on release date).
No Super Bowl champion over the past 14 years has employed a $2.6 million running back, let alone one set to make $9.4 million.
The easiest offseason and money-saving decision is also an obvious one given how poorly Mixon's played over the past two seasons. He is one of the worst pass blockers of any starting running back in the league and ranked bottom-five in elusive rating this past season.
He was a big reason why Cincinnati struggled to bust many big rushes all year. The five-touchdown day against Carolina was great, but Mixon needed to show more consistency this entire season to justify sticking around on his current deal.
The running back's created some great memories in a Bengals uniform, but this is up there with Trae Waynes as one of the easier-cut decisions of the Joe Burrow era.
Kansas City just powered its rushing attack with a 2022 seventh-round pick in Isiah Pacheco. Cincinnati could mirror that next year with a mid or late-round running back.
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