Zack

Moss

Moss signed a two-year deal with the Bengals last offseason. He opened the year as the starter but his role eventually started to shrink. He then suffered a broken neck in his eighth game and was placed on injured reserve, ending his season. The Bengals restructured his contract in the offseason, giving him a chance to make the roster with a strong showing in training camp. That didn’t materialize and Moss is now looking for his fourth NFL team in as many seasons. The move clears the runway for rookie Tahj Brooks to back up Chase Brown. Brooks is competing with Samaje Perine for that role, but Perine has become mostly a third-down back at this point in his career.

“I didn’t know, no one knew,” Moss told The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. “Friday before the Raiders game, it stunned everybody. I didn’t know it was broken.” Dehner Jr. notes that Moss is only working on side fields to get his conditioning right after Moss became a “couch potato” (Moss’ words) following surgery last season. Based on how far away he is from legitimate practice, it feels like it is possible that Moss doesn’t make the Bengals even after taking a salary cut this offseason.

Moss can be activated off the list at any time. There was some question if Moss would actually return to the Bengals this year, but after taking a paycut he is expected to be part of the rotation behind Chase Brown in 2025. How quickly he can actually get on to the field probably has some say in how the running back depth chart plays out this year.

Moss was entering the final year of his contract. The Bengals were reportedly open to releasing Moss while they figured out the extent of his neck injury, but NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports the team is “confident in his return.” Moss should factor in as the main backup to Chase Brown on early downs, and with his status more certain, the Bengals appear less likely to draft a running back on Thursday.

“Releasing will be an option,” Dehner believes while noting the team would free up $3.5 million in cap space if they did so. The Bengals have already brought in Samaje Perine behind Chase Brown this offseason, and if they draft a running back next weekend, it should probably be viewed as an admission that they don’t think Moss will play. Dynasty teams that have been holding on to Moss should be aware that he’s not exactly a must-roster at this point.

The team’s own website notes that Zack Moss’ status going forward is “unclear.” Speaking to reporters, Pitcher praised Chase’s ability in pass protection, saying “Chase really stepped up in his protection as well last year.” The Bengals coordinator added that “depending on who we are able to add we can mold it and we can make it work. Credit Chase’s development that we find ourselves in that position.” It was never likely that we were going to get Week 10-Week 18 Brown, who almost never left the field, back in 2025. A bigger backup runner could cost Brown some red zone carries, but at least it would maintain his status as a main target out of the backfield for Cincinnati next season.

Moss is still expected to miss the remainder of the season because of the neck injury, but this is at least a silver lining for the veteran back. Moss avoiding surgery hopefully means he will be able to play in 2025 without any complications. He signed a two-year deal with the Bengals last offseason and could return as a steady, between-the-tackles complement to Chase Brown.

Khalil Herbert will now slot in as Chase Brown’s backup. Moss finishes the year with a 74/242/2 rushing line and caught 23 of 27 targets for 187 yards and a touchdown in his most extensive receiving work yet. It’s possible he’s back next year on a $4.9 million cap figure if the neck isn’t a longer-term concern than the next few months. If not, Moss will be a credible backup/committee option in free agency next offseason.

The Bengals make the move for Herbert after losing Zack Moss (neck) for what seems like an extended period, perhaps the rest of the regular season. Chase Brown, who had 32 touches in Week 9 against the Raiders, will continue operating as the Bengals’ No. 1 back, though Herbert could mix in for a few touches a game. The efficient Herbert could find himself in the RB1 role if Brown misses time in the short term.

Moss suffered his neck injury in practice last week and will now miss what appears to be an extended period of time. Whether or not the veteran running back lands on injured reserve ahead of Thursday’s game against the Ravens will give us a look into how severe the team considers the injury to be. For now, however, we can expect the Bengals to lean heavily on Chase Brown like we saw in Week 9’s win over the Raiders.