Shawn Williams to Joe Mixon: 'Just sign on the dotted line'
CINCINNATI — The Bengals finalized Joe Burrow's four-year, $36.1 million contract last week. The top pick was the seventh and final member of Cincinnati's 2020 draft class to sign with the team.
Now that the rookies are taken care of — Duke Tobin, Katie Blackburn and Mike Brown can shift their attention to running back Joe Mixon.
The 24-year-old is entering the final year of his contract. The Bengals have made it clear that they hope to sign him to a long-term extension before the start of the 2020 season.
Mixon might've hinted at that possibility on Sunday.
"Got Real Life Big Decisions To Make," he tweeted.
Those seven words were enough to get the attention of plenty of people, including one of his teammates.
"Just sign on the dotted line brotha," safety Shawn Williams said in response to Mixon's tweet.
It may not be much, but it does appear that the Bengals veteran is hoping the fourth-year running back is in Cincinnati for the foreseeable future.
The Bengals front office has a history of getting long-term extensions completed in the month of August.
They signed defensive tackle Geno Atkins to a four-year, $65.3 million deal on Aug. 28, 2018. Later that day they agreed to a three-year, $45 million extension with Carlos Dunlap.
It wouldn't be surprising to see Mixon get a four-year deal worth anywhere from $10-12 million per season.
A four-year, $40 million deal would make him the sixth-highest paid running back in the league. His contract could be similar to what Derrick Henry received (four years, $50 million) from the Titans.
The Bengals want to keep Mixon around long-term. The next few days [and possibly weeks] are going to be crucial in making sure that happens.
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