Out of concussion protocol

Bengals head coach Zac Taylor confirmed Thursday that Mixon cleared the NFL's concussion protocol last week, Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic reports. After practicing fully Wednesday, Mixon is on track to end his two-game absence this Sunday against the Browns.

Mixon was a limited participant in all three of the Bengals' practices last week before being listed as questionable ahead of the team's game against the Chiefs. According to Dehner, Mixon disclosed that he was "barely" experiencing concussion symptoms that were mostly related to his vision by the end of the week, and despite clearing the protocol ahead of kickoff time, the Bengals ultimately chose to make the running back inactive for the second straight week in an eventual 27-24 win over Kansas City. With Mixon having now cleared the protocol and set to turn in a full week of practice, he'll be returning to action as the starter, which Taylor confirmed Wednesday, per Dehner. However, with backup Samaje Perine excelling in a three-down role in Mixon's absence the past two weeks, it's possible the distribution of work between the two backs is tighter than it had been in previous weeks when both were healthy.