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Joe Mixon Missing From Bengals Training Camp Amidst Contract Negotiations

By Jason Schandl

Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon has reportedly been absent from training camp amidst contract negotiations.
Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon has reportedly been absent from training camp amidst contract negotiations. / Mark Brown/Getty Images
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One of the reasons it was so exciting when the Cincinnati Bengals drafted Joe Burrow with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft was because the Cincy offense looked like it was already loaded with talent. Rarely does a first-overall pick QB immediately get to play with a strong supporting group of skill position players.

Well, that group could be losing some of its luster based on a worrying report about Joe Mixon.

Here's the latest on why he's absent.

Mixon is heading into a contract year, and as we've seen with stars like Ezekiel Elliott, Melvin Gordon and Dalvin Cook, top RBs are reluctant to take the field without a long-term deal in place. The injury risk at the position is high, and one hit could be the difference between seeing a massive new contract in the offseason or a short-term, Todd Gurley type "prove it" deal.

Mixon hasn't gone public with a potential holdout like Cook did earlier this offseason, so it's not time for Bengals fans to panic quite yet, but this is clearly going to be a situation to monitor.

if Mixon does hold out at all, Giovani Bernard would step back into the Bengals' No. 1 RB role. A Bengal since he was drafted in 2013, Bernard has racked up 3,281 yards on the ground and another 2,512 as a receiver across 99 games.

Mixon is tied for the 10th-best odds to lead the NFL in rushing in 2020, at +2200, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

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Jason Schandl is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Jason Schandl also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username Jaymun. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in his articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.