Mixon declines to talk case; shuns specific outlets

CINCINNATI — Bengals running back Joe Mixon declined to speak to reporters in his first practice after he was found not guilty in an aggravated menacing case.

After Sunday’s practice, Mixon declined to speak to reporters. He then announced he would be boycotting questions from specific reporters who represent the following outlets: Sports Illustrated, The Cincinnati Enquirer, Pro Football Network and ESPN.

“It’s not happening,” Mixon said, citing behavior he deemed disrespectful.

When asked to elaborate on how things have been disrespectful, Mixon responded by saying “you know how” as he retreated into the team’s training room. He returned to one of the team’s pingpong tables a few minutes later.

Mixon has not spoken to reporters during the team’s scheduled media access since the end of the 2022 season.

The seventh-year player out of Oklahoma has been mired in off-field issues in 2023. In April, Mixon was charged with misdemeanor aggravated menacing after police claim he pointed a gun at a woman and said he should shoot her. Last week, Hamilton County Municipal Court Judge Gwen Bender ruled Mixon not guilty, saying city prosecutors failed to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt.

The Bengals running back is also facing a lawsuit after a teenager who was formerly his next-door neighbor was shot in the foot while playing with Nerf guns. Mixon was not a suspect in the criminal investigation. Others have been charged, including one individual with a count of felony assault.

Mixon remained on the team after he and the Bengals renegotiated his contract to reduce his hit to the salary cap. With the new deal, Mixon will count $8.5 million against the cap in 2023.

After reaching his first Pro Bowl in 2021, Mixon’s success rate was 41.0% in 2022, which was slightly below the league average of 41.7% among players with 150 or more carries, per NFL Next Gen Stats data.