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Bengals do right by running back Joe Mixon one final time by finding a trade partner for him

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By John Sheeran | Last updated 3/13/24

You can never be too sure about what initially comes out in NFL free agency.

It was reported on Monday night that the Bengals were to release running back Joe Mixon after agreeing to terms with his replacement, Zack Moss, on a two-year, $8 million deal. When the sun rose, it was revealed that the Bengals and Houston Texans agreed to a trade for Mixon instead.

The legal tampering period can throw curveballs at you, but what's always been known is how the Bengals feel about Mixon, and wanting to do right by him until the very end.

The Bengals had every right to release Mixon now. It was the same story last year as well when they eventually approached him about a pay cut. The four-year, $48 million contract he signed years ago was becoming less and less valuable as the wear and tear on his game became increasingly noticeable. A closer look past his volume production showed it very clearly.

But how many running backs nowadays see a second contract worth that much? How many draft prospects taken off boards by nearly every team in the league for off-field issues get drafted in the second round? How many running backs with minimal tread left on the tires stay on their original team this long?

The Bengals have always done right by Mixon. So whether it was last year or last week, it made sense to move on and leave him to his own devices. It would've been no different than when they released Cordy Glenn, Vontaze Burfict, John Miller, Geno Atkins, Bobby Hart, Trae Waynes, Rey Maualuga, Dre Kirkpatrick, Giovani Bernard, and Andy Dalton in past years.

Franchise icons and fan scapegoats can all meet the same fate in the name of a football decision. Mixon somehow falls into the both categories as one of the most productive offensive players in Cincinnati history who couldn't exceed expectations when cap complications entered the picture. But unlike all of the names listed above, the Bengals set him up for success in his next chapter.

Bengals trading Joe Mixon was an absolute win-win

Who'd have thought that you could trade a soon-to-be 28-year old running back with one year remaining on his contract in this economy?

The Bengals not only entertained the idea, they made into a reality when they got the Texans to part ways with a conditional seventh-round pick.

Compensation is a conditional seventh round pick for Joe Mixon @KPRC2 #Texans https://t.co/xp3C4SpCqE
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) March 12, 2024

Though a seventh-rounder is generally nothing more than giving a college free agent a four-year contract rather than a three-year deal, any draft capital at all is better than none, which is what the Bengals would've received had they just let Mixon go. We're still to learn what the condition of the seventh-rounder is.

Receiving any asset in return is a win for the Bengals, and Mixon getting to play under his original contract is a win for him. He'll still be paid just over $6 million in cash this season, more than Moss will be paid in Cincinnati, and he won't have to fight on the open market for more or less after many of the top running backs found new homes.

The money is the same, just like the opportunity to win. Houston is coming off an AFC South title and a 1-1 trip to the playoffs. They have the reigning Rookie of the Year in quarterback C.J. Stroud, and Coach of the Year finalist DeMeco Ryans running the operation. Stroud has at least a few more years before he'll be up to reset the quarterback market, so the window is wide open for the Texans.

Mixon may not be around in Houston for too long to experience that window. He's turning 28 this Summer, the age that's typically a death sentence for starting running backs. He'll be an experienced 28 as well with 1,676 career carries under his belt at the start of the season. Consider it another bullet point in why the Bengals chose now to move on. Moss is not even at 500 career carries, by the way.

Houston won't mind as a team desperate for a running back. The club was in on Derrick Henry as well, but Mixon ended up being cheaper to acquire in terms of cash. The Texans' under center and heavy play action scheme also fits well with who Mixon is as a runner nowadays. He'll give you four yards and a cloud of dust, but with Stroud's ability to keep defenses honest, his yards per carry could see a jump as well.

Rarely do you see ex-Bengals leave the team and everyone is happy. The Bengals almost always look out for themselves in situations like this, but Mixon was a special case. He's beloved by the front office, specifically the Brown and Blackburn family. The decision to move on from him couldn't have been easy, but it was correct.

Ensuring his next destination will keep his money and chances of winning intact is an honorable last act of good faith towards a player they so deeply care about.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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