Joe Mixon injury update: How long is Bengals RB out for after suffering concussion?

The Cincinnati Bengals won against the Pittsburgh Steelers, but Joe Mixon had to leave the game with a concussion in what served as a major blow for the Bengals.

The running back had seven carries for 20 yards and 42 yards on three receptions during the win.

While the Bengals did not suffer the consequences, winning 37-30 on the night, they will likely keep a keen eye on the running back.

Joe Mixon did not return during the game and there is an indefinite timeline for when he will be out. Based on concussion protocols, he will need to be evaluated before he can come back and join the squad. When a player suffers a concussion, it generally has a median time of nine days before they can return.

JuJu Smith-Schuster suffered a concussion last week and was ruled out this week. Matthew Stafford suffered a concussion the week before and missed the last game as well.

Based on a similar timeline, the expectation is that Joe Mixon will miss Week 12, even though he looked fine in the postgame celebrations.

That is a conservative estimate given how strict the NFL has become this season ever since the fiasco of the Tua Tagovailoa concussion earlier in the season.

The perceived mismanagement threw a lot of negative attention the league's way and they are expected to err on the side of caution in such instances.

How does Joe Mixon's concussion change the Bengals' gameplan?

Assuming Joe Mixon misses at least one game, the Bengals will have to make some changes to how they play in the coming week.

They have relied on Mixon for both rushing and receiving. Before the bye week last week against the Carolina Panthers, he had four touchdowns and was looking to come into a great seam of form.

But with Joe Burrow, they have the ability to rely more on the passing game to accumulate as many points as they did today. They will be hoping that Mixon's injury is short and he will be back sooner rather than later. In the meantime, as mentioned before, Samaje Perine looks to be settling in well.

Perine took over for Mixon and excelled, scoring two receiving touchdowns of his own. This inter-divisional win took the Bengals to a 6-4 record and they are now up to second in the AFC North, trailing only the Baltimore Ravens, who have a 7-3 record.