Steelers AFC North Division Rival Could Potentially Force Star Running Back To Take A Pay Cut, Or Play Somewhere New In 2023

The Pittsburgh Steelers have had to watch the Cincinnati Bengals lightly dominate the AFC North since the beginning of the 2021 season. Their division rival has played in two straight AFC Championship games and was able to win one of them, ultimately to lose in Super Bowl LVI against the Los Angeles Rams. The Bengals remain the favorite to win the division in 2023, but the group of four teams has the potential to be the best in the entire NFL. Cincinnati is strong on both sides of the ball, but is led by star quarterback, Joe Burrow, who is entering the prime years of his career.

It's not just Burrow who is scary to opposing defenses. The offense has a trio of more than capable wide receivers in Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd. It was originally believed Higgins could be dealt during the 2023 offseason, but the organization has adamantly denied any truth to the rumors, so the three pass catchers are expected to be back together for the 2023 campaign.

Their starting running back is a dynamic threat also. Joe Mixon has run for 1,000 or more yards in three of the six years he has been in the league. He has had some breakout games against the Steelers including in late November of 2021 when he ran for 165 yards and scored two touchdowns. He has averaged five yards per carry against Pittsburgh in his career.

The Bengals are in a difficult spot with the running back currently, however. For starters, he has been wrapped up in some legal trouble which isn't the first time he has dealt with the law in the last six years. He pleaded not guilty to a charge of misdemeanor aggravated menacing in April and no one is quite sure how the situation will play out.

Another issue that the franchise and Mixon are currently facing is his cap charge of near $26 million over the course of the next two seasons. It's going to be extremely difficult to pay Burrow, Chase and maybe even Higgins with Mixon on the books for that much. It's overwhelmingly possible that his deal is either restructured with him taking a pay cut, or the team moving on from him all together.

The former is more likely given the current running back market. It wouldn't make much sense for Mixon to test the free agent waters with as stagnant as it has been given the position. Bengals beat writer for The Athletic, Paul Dehner Jr., hinted at the fact that the organization could give him an ultimatum and if he is unwilling to lower his cap number, a veteran free agent like Ezekiel Elliot or Dalvin Cook could be in play.

"If he’s not [willing to realign his cap hit], the Bengals will probably tap into the veteran backwaters that are currently overflowing with victims of the philosophical shift away from paying the position," Dehner writes.

A combination of his financial implications as well as his legal proceedings may lead to the Bengals moving on from him in order to reallocate money elsewhere, especially if they know internally that he won't be signed after his contract expires in 2024. Steelers fans may be grinning ear to ear as the current running back room in Cincinnati is not daunting with rookie, Chase Brown being the number two.

Steelers Could Have A New Running Back Foe In Cincinnati

If Mixon decides to take a gamble and not accept a pay cut, he could be out looking for a new job. The odds are not in his favor given a potential suspension from the NFL based on how his newest legal troubles pan out. Overall, he would be wise to take a pay cut and play out the final two years of his deal, but crazier things have happened. Don't be shocked if he isn't in Cincinnati in 2023.

Do you expect the Steelers' rival in Mixon to accept deduction in pay to lower his cap hit? Let us know in the comments below!

#SteelerNation