Joe Mixon listed as a top cap casualty candidate this offseason

Joe Mixon has been a key piece for the Cincinnati Bengals offense for the last several seasons. With a slight drop-off, and the emergence of Samaje Perine this season, the question now looms of who will take the majority of the snaps in the 2023-24 season.

If the AFC Championship snap counts are any indication, all fingers are starting to point at Perine. That leaves another question for the Bengals front office; what to do with Mixon?

According to Joel Corry of CBS Sports, he considers Mixon to be one of the top-cap casualties of this offseason.

“Mixon being on the field for 23 of Cincinnati’s offensive snaps during the AFC Championship Game while his backup, Samaje Perine, took 43 raised eyebrows,” Corry wrote. “After a career-high 1,205 rushing yards in 2021, Mixon dropped to 814 last season.”

If the Bengals decided to trade or release Mixon from his contract, they would save just under $7.3 million against the salary cap for the 2023-24 season.

With conversations of extending Joe Burrow as well as extensions likely coming for Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, it could be a move we see the front office make.

No doubt losing a rusher like Mixon would sting, but with the success of Perine this season it also does make some sense.

Will be an interesting story to follow.