Late Monday night, the Bengals agreed to terms on a two-year, $8 million deal with former Colts running back Zack Moss. However, he wasn't brought to Cincinnati to complement RB Joe Mixon; instead, he's taking his job.
Per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, the Bengals are releasing Mixon, who is coming off his fourth 1,000-yard season.
Here are the three best landing spots for the 27-year-old who now has several options on the open market.
Heading into free agency, it was rumored that the Ravens were eyeing a running back with "pedigree." Former Titans RB Derrick Henry, who they have been linked to, is still available, but Mixon could be a cheaper option.
Baltimore is $180K over the salary cap, and while Mixon will likely still look to receive a good payday, he may be willing to take less to face his former team that just cut him at least two times a year.
The Ravens already lost running back Gus Edwards to the Chargers in free agency, so they must move quickly before all the best backs are gone.
The Texans are another team linked to landing a big-name running back this offseason. On Monday, though, their running back room saw only the loss of Devin Singletary, who joined the Giants.
A running game is a young quarterback's best friend, and while the reigning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, QB C.J. Stroud, can hold his own, adding Mixon to an already talented offense could help Houston take another step in 2024.
Money is not a problem as the team has $51.26 million, per Over The Cap. So, only time will tell who the Texans will add and Mixon could now be the answer.
The Cowboys were quiet on the first day of the free agency "tampering" period, but that's because they have just $2.2 million in salary cap space. They must add to their running back room after losing Tony Pollard to the Titans on Monday.
Mixon would help Dallas return to a more physical running game like they had with Ezekiel Elliott from 2016-22, which would help take some of the pressure off QB Dak Prescott. It feels like a perfect match if the team can find some extra money.
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