For everybody in the NFL, at least for those who played last season, right about now is the first time they’re putting pads on for practice since the previous season ended. Among the last to play is Joe Mixon, the Pro Bowl running back for the Cincinnati Bengals.
But he certainly wasn’t the last, not even for their offense, because, in fact, head coach Zach Taylor decided to use running back Samaje Perine instead. Not that it wasn’t questioned at the time, but it’s something that Mixon has lived to regret—more specifically, for failing to be more assertive about his being on the field in those late-game situations.