Report: Joe Mixon, Bengals agree to 4-year, $48M contract extension
Joe Mixon has agreed to a four-year contract extension with the Cincinnati Bengals, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported.
The deal is worth $48 million over four years, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, and will keep Mixon with the Bengals for five more years. His rookie contract was set to expire after the 2020 NFL season.
Here’s how the deal breaks down:
Full details on the #Bengals deal for RB Joe Mixon’s 4-year, $48M deal:
— $10M signing bonus. $1.3M base in 2020.
— $8M base in 2021.
— $8M in 2022.
— $9.4M in 2023.
— Club option for $9.6M in 2024.
— $500K each year in playtime and $200K offseason workout bonus each year.— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 1, 2020
Mixon, 24, was drafted by the Bengals in the second round of the 2017 NFL draft. He was back at practice on Tuesday after reportedly missing time due to migraines, though there was talk of a holdout.
Mixon missed practices last week
The team was reportedly anticipating a holdout by the young star back if they couldn’t “agree to a long-term deal.” That fear by fans grew last week when Mixon was suddenly absent from practices and not on the sidelines. He missed Sunday’s scrimmage, though he was in attendance.
Coach Zac Taylor didn’t specify Mixon’s absence at first and Mixon’s cryptic tweets didn’t help matters. NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero said Mixon had been out with migraines and was expected back soon. At the time it was reported that negotiations were “ongoing.”
Joe Mixon is on the field stretching with the team pic.twitter.com/pDocHBIbCA
— James Rapien (@JamesRapien) September 1, 2020
He was back at practice on Tuesday looking mighty happy and shared his own photo of the moment on Twitter.
— ⚡️Primetime!!!⚡️ (@Joe_MainMixon) September 1, 2020
Mixon has become one of NFL’s best backs
Mixon is coming off back-to-back seasons with at least 1,100 rushing yards after starting only seven games his rookie season. He’ll also benefit from having No. 1 draft pick Joe Burrow handing off to him.
His draft value dropped to the second round mainly due to an incident in Oklahoma in which he punched a female student. It was caught on video.
The reported $12 million per season falls below Carolina Panthers’ Christian McCaffrey’s extension worth $16 million per season. McCaffrey is the highest paid back in the NFL and is the only player with at least 2,500 rushing yards and 2,500 receiving yards in his first three seasons.
The New Orleans Saints’ Alvin Kamara and Minnesota Vikings’ Dalvin Cook are still seeking extensions.
More from Yahoo Sports:
