Joe Mixon

Joseph Tyler Mixon is an American football running back for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Oklahoma, where he was a first-team All-Big 12 and was selected by the Bengals in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft. Mixon received Pro Bowl honors in 2021 as a member of the team that reached Super Bowl LVI.

Joe Mixon’s Early Life and Background

Mixon was a football and basketball player for Freedom High School. He was a starter all three years at RB. He rushed for 1,134 yards and 13 touchdowns, 1,443 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 1,704 yards and 23 touchdowns as a sophomore, junior, and in his final year respectively. He was also an adequate basketball player with a 12.2 ppg average with abysmal free throw percentages at 57%. Mixon was a five-star recruit and one of the top-rated running backs in the nation. In January 2014, he committed to the University of Oklahoma after receiving 47 offers.

Mixon played college football from 2014-2016. He was suspended from the team for a misdemeanor assault charge for the entirety of the 2014 season. In 2015, Mixon earned playing time in his redshirt freshman year. In a record-breaking start, Mixon had the longest catch ever by a Sooner Freshman running back with 76 yards. During the 2015 regular season, he ran for 749 yards on 110 carries, averaging 6.8 yards. He rushed for seven touchdowns and set his career-long carry at 66 yards. He also recorded 25 receptions for 345 yards, averaging 13.8 yards per reception, and four touchdowns. On October 22, 2016, he had the best statistical performance of his collegiate career with 31 carries for 263 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns to go along with four receptions for 114 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns. His career day marked the first of six consecutive games with at least one rushing touchdown. On January 2, he won the Sugar Bowl, tallying numbers of 91 rushing yards, two rushing touchdowns, five receptions, and 89 receiving yards. He totaled 1,274 rushing yards to go with 10 touchdowns while also receiving for 538 yards and 5 touchdowns, all improvements from his first season.

Who Drafted Joe Mixon?

After the 2016 season, Mixon decided to forgo his remaining two years of eligibility and enter the 2017 NFL Draft. Joe was projected to be a third or fourth-round pick even after having first-round talent due to his prior history. He was ranked among the top five running backs in the draft class. ESPN reported that on the weekend of the combine the Cincinnati Bengals met with Mixon in order for them to get a chance to talk with him extensively about his character. On March 8, 2017, Mixon performed all of the Combine tests and completed the positional workouts at Oklahoma's Pro Day. Mixon was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the second round (48th overall) of the 2017 NFL Draft. He was the fourth running back to be selected in that year's draft.

Joe Mixon’s NFL Journey

A career that started off marred with controversy, Mixon has taken the long road to repair his public image and paid off the trust the Bengals showed him in the 2017 NFL Draft, with a clean record off the field and strong performances on it. After his selection was heavily criticized, Mixon produced an overall average season. He improved significantly in his next season, leading the AFC in rushing yards. He had a slightly statistically better third go-round for the Bengals. His 2020 campaign was deterred by injuries but he bounced back with an amazing 2021 season. He earned his first Pro Bowl selection and recorded a career-high in rushing yards while recording the most touchdowns by a Bengals player since Ickey Woods in 1988. He capped it off with a strong postseason performance before ultimately falling short of winning Super Bowl LVI.

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Joe Mixon teams

Cincinnati Bengals (2017-Present)

On June 2, 2017, the Bengals signed Mixon to a four-year, $5.45 million contract with $2.81 million guaranteed and a signing bonus of $2.10 million. Mixon led the NFL in Week 12 with a career-best 114 rushing yards against Cleveland, along with a touchdown and 51 yards receiving. He finished the season with 626 rushing yards, 4 rushing touchdowns, 30 receptions, and 287 receiving yards. Mixon came back for a much stronger second season. He finished the season with an AFC-leading 1,168 yards along with 8 rushing touchdowns and one receiving touchdown. Improving upon his performance, Mixon finished the 2019 season with 1,137 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns to go along with 35 receptions for 287 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns.

Mixon earned his first AFC Offensive Player of the Week in week 4 of next year, for a performance that included 25 carries for 151 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns to go along with six receptions for 30 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown. In Week 6, he suffered a foot injury and missed the next three games before being placed on injured reserve on November 21, 2020. For the season, Mixon finished with 428 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns to go along with 21 receptions for 138 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown in six games. In Week 12, Mixon had 165 rushing yards and two touchdowns, earning AFC Offensive Player of the Week. In December, Mixon was selected for his first Pro Bowl. Overall, Mixon finished the 2021 season with a career-high 1,205 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns to go along with 42 receptions for 314 receiving yards and 3 receiving touchdowns.

Championships and Rings Won by Joe Mixon

Joe came extremely close to a Super Bowl ring in the 2021 season. The Bengals faced off against the Los Angeles Rams for the title and while they came close, they ultimately fell short, losing 23-20 at Super Bowl LVI.

Joe Mixon Awards and Honours

Joe Mixon's Net Worth

Joe Mixon’s net worth in 2022 is estimated to be around $10 million. He’s currently signed to a 4-year, $48 million contract with the Cincinnati Bengals, amounting to about $12 million a year.

Read more about Joe Mixon's net worth.

Joe Mixon family

Joe Mixon was born on July 24th, 1996 in Oakley, California in the United States of America. He was born to John Mixon and Alise Smith. Mixon shares the same parents as his five other siblings; three sisters and two brothers. They were all raised single-handedly by their other, Alise Smith. Mixon stands at a height of 1.85 m tall and weighs 100kg.

Joe Mixon Controversies

Mixon was charged with misdemeanor assault in 2014 for punching Amelia Molitor and breaking bones in her face that required hospitalization and surgery. The incident occurred a day after Mixon turned 18, on June 25, 2014. Mixon entered an Alford plea and received a one-year deferred sentence and was ordered to undergo counseling along with 100 hours of community service. Molitor filed a suit in federal court against Mixon, accusing him of negligence, wilful and wanton misconduct, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The case was settled and Mixon apologized to Molitor in April 2017.

Mixon has suspended again in 2016 after he confronted a parking attendant for receiving a parking citation. He further proceeded to “inch the officer” with his vehicle to “intimidate the officer”.