The Cincinnati Bengals have quickly become one of the powerhouses in the NFL, and a big reason why is because of their stellar young core. Part of that core group is Joe Mixon, who recently agreed to restructure his contract to help the Bengals free up some more salary cap space. Mixon's move could end up being a huge help for Cincy moving forward.

Mixon is coming off another strong season with the Bengals (210 CAR, 814 YDS, 7 TD, 60 REC, 441 YDS, 2 TD) as he continued to play a big role as Cincinnati's top option on the ground, and as a reliable option in the air too. Mixon's restructure cleared up $4.39 million in cap space, which may not seem like a lot, but is huge for a team that is heading towards a cap crunch like the Bengals.

While the Bengals likely aren't going to bring in more players thanks to Mixon's new deal here, it does help them create space to extend some of their other key players currently on their roster. So with that in mind, here are two moves the Bengals could look to make with the extra cap space Mixon has helped them create.

2. Extend Tee Higgins

The most pressing extension candidate on the Bengals (and there's a few of them) is star wide receiver Tee Higgins. Higgins has been outshined a bit by Ja'Marr Chase, which is understandable, but make no mistake about it; Higgins is a star, and if the Bengals don't pay him soon, someone will when he hits the open market next offseason.

Higgins has turned himself into a remarkably consistent secondary option for Joe Burrow under center, and is coming off another strong season for the Bengals in 2022 (74 REC, 1029 YDS, 7 TD). If he weren't in Cincinnati, Higgins would undoubtedly be another team's top option at wide receiver, but for the most part, he seems happy to work in tandem with Chase.

As previously noted, Higgins is set to be a free agent after the 2023 season, making his contract situation the most pressing one for the Bengals to address. Given how Higgins is a top wide receiver, he is going to have to get paid like one, in addition to Chase, although his extension isn't as pressing. With this extra money from Mixon, Cincy could move to lock up Higgins to a long-term deal before the start of the season.

1. Extend Joe Burrow

Even if Higgins is set for free agency after this season, Joe Burrow's contract is probably just a hair more pressing than his. Burrow is in the final year of being a cheap rookie quarterback before he is set to earn over $29.5 million next season, and while there is still time to get a deal done here, you don't really want to dilly-dally when it comes to extending your franchise quarterback.

Burrow has proven himself to be one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL by now, leading the Bengals to back-to-back AFC Championship Games in consecutive years now. Keeping his supporting cast is crucial, which is why Higgins is on this list too, but keeping the guy who is the glue in making it all work is obviously the most important piece.

The contract Burrow will command is going to be massive, and honestly, Mixon's restructure doesn't create enough money to actually get it done. More moves would have to be made, but by fixing up Mixon's deal, the Bengals front office is showing that they are aware they have a lot of work to do, and with that in mind, an extension for Burrow may not be as far down the road as it initially seemed.