Cincinnati Bengals Running Back Clears Concussion Protocol

The Cincinnati Bengals are coming off a huge 27-24 Week 13 win over the Kansas City Chiefs, and now they have something else to smile about. Running back Joe Mixon returned to full participation in today's practice, indicating he has cleared concussion protocol.

Joe Mixon went full today, which means he's out of concussion protocol
— Jay Morrison (@JayMorrisonATH) December 7, 2022

Mixon has missed two games since suffering a head injury in the Bengals' Week 11 37-30 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played 14 snaps in the game, rushing seven times for 20 yards.

Mixon's return should provide an ideal complement to the Bengals surging passing attack. He exploded for a career-best 211 yards from scrimmage and six touchdowns in his last healthy start, a 42-21 win over the Carolina Panthers in Week 9. He remains the team's leading rusher. His presence could open things up even more for quarterback Joe Burrow, who has passed for 556 yards and three touchdowns in two key wins against the Chiefs and the Tennessee Titans in Mixon's absence.

Mixon initially joined the Bengals as their 48th overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. He has rushed for 5169 yards and 39 touchdowns in 76 appearances for the Bengals while adding another 1636 yards and 10 touchdowns through the air. A powerful, punishing runner and a capable receiver out of the backfield, Mixon set career highs in yards from scrimmage (1519) and total touchdowns (16) last year with the Bengals, the first Pro Bowl season of his career.