Cincinnati Bengals star running back Joe Mixon thinks his team is a bonafide Super Bowl contender. And he is putting his money where his mouth is.

Mixon made it clear that his decision to restructure his contract with the only NFL team he has played for is for the greater good, via Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com.

“I see the task at hand and what we're trying to build and in order to keep other players here and pieces here, sometimes you have to sacrifice,” Mixon said.

Foremost among the “other players” is franchise quarterback Joe Burrow. Burrow's next contract, which he will almost certainly sign before the start of the 2023 season, will likely make him the league's highest-paid player by annual average value.

Another reason for Joe Mixon to take a pay cut? The sagging market for running backs across the NFL in general. Teams are using their leverage to keep salaries down even for star running backs.

To wit: Josh Jacobs has yet to sign his franchise tag with the Las Vegas Raiders. Tony Pollard signed his with the Dallas Cowboys, while Saquon Barkley hinted at a season-long hold out before squeezing $2 million more out of the New York Giants to sign his tender. Not to mention productive veterans such as Dalvin Cook and Ezekiel Elliott, who are still without teams heading into 2023.

Mixon is aware of the problems his fellow backs are dealing with, and hopes the players' union can help “uplift that market.”

Whatever his primary motivation, Mixon is optimistic his lighter pay checks will lead to more team success.

“I felt like this year was the year to sacrifice on the Super Bowl team we can potentially be.”