Joe Mixon gets paid . . . What about Dalvin Cook?
A running back who was a second-round pick from the 2017 NFL Draft just got paid.
No, it’s not Dalvin Cook.
It’s Bengals running back Joe Mixon.
Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Mixon signed a four-year, $48 million.
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’s average annual value of $12 million per year ranks sixth among NFL running backs behind Christian McCaffrey, Ezekiel Elliott, Le’Veon Bell, David Johnson and Derrick Henry.
Most consider Cook, who has yet to sign an extension, as the better running back. But Mixon has more rushing yards (2,931) than anyone in the 2017 class. Cook, who has missed 19 games in his first three seasons, has 2,104 rushing yards.
Cook is such a huge part of Minnesota’s offense. It feels like a deal between he and the Vikings will ultimately get done, even if it’s not done before the start of the season.
Will it eclipse Mixon’s deal?
It probably will, but both sides have a pretty good argument on why it should or shouldn’t.
