While the Cincinnati Bengals featured a top-10 offense in 2022 (both in terms of yardage and points), Quarterback Joe Burrow and the passing game did the heavy lifting — to that point, Cincy finished fifth in aerial offense and just 29th on the ground. Despite that, the team did little to address this deficiency. In fact, the biggest move of the offseason was allowing running back Samaje Perine to sign with the Denver Broncos after he finished with 681 combined yards and six touchdowns.
There was also uncertainty about running back Joe Mixon based on some legal issues, though that looks to have been settled, at least in terms of his position on the roster. The only addition of note is rookie back Chase Brown, who will battle RBs Trayveon Williams and Chris Evans for the No. 2 job. It’s possible the Bengals will target a veteran between now and Week 1 — given their Super Bowl aspirations, perhaps someone like running back Ezekiel Elliott (Dallas Cowboys) would be willing to sign on — but based on where it stands right now, here’s a look at the Bengals’ 2023 running backs.
Joe Mixon
It’s been anything but smooth sailing over the past year-plus for Mixon, who followed up a 1,205-yard, 13-touchdown performance in 2021 with just 814 yards and seven rushing scores a year ago. He also missed time due to a concussion. That was just the news on the field. Off the field, things were even more complicated. Mixon had a warrant issued in February for aggravated menacing that was rescinded and then eventually reopened.
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Any thought that Mixon would be released was effectively laid to rest recently, however, when he and the Bengals agreed to a restructured contract. Things seemed to be trending that direction anyway given how little Cincy had done at the position in free agency or the draft.
At this stage, Mixon stands to operate as the primary back once again, and perhaps we’ll see a continued increase in his receiving after he set career highs in receptions (60) and receiving yards (441) last year.
Chase Brown
With Perine gone, the backup job is wide open. Enter Brown, a fifth-round pick out of Illinois who racked up 1,643 yards and 13 TDs to earn a spot as a Doak Walker Award finalist.
He has decent hands and can contribute to the passing game, though his blocking is suspect. As a runner, Brown has good patience along with the speed to outrun defenders in the open field. Where he’s currently lacking is power, which could be an issue in short-yardage situations.
Trayveon Williams and Chris Evans
A pair of returning veterans also will be in the mix for the No. 2 role. First up is Williams, who has played in 23 games over four seasons with the Bengals. His 5.1 yards-per-carry average looks nice, but it’s based on a measly 47 career rushing attempts, and just six of those came in 2022. Cincy did re-sign Williams in the offseason, and Taylor noted the back has made strides, but until he starts getting the ball on Sundays it’s hard to muster much excitement.
Evans was a sixth-round selection out of Michigan in 2021. He has appeared in 26 of 34 games, mostly as a special teams player. That was especially true last year when he did not have a carry and caught just three passes — after turning 32 touches into 228 yards and two TDs as a rookie. While he has flashed occasionally as a pass catcher, Evans seems the least likely of the three to earn backup duties.
Fantasy football outlook
Despite the fact that he’s coming off a down season and is getting a bit high in mileage, Mixon looks to be the bell cow in Cincinnati. His 270 total touches a year ago is exactly triple that of the three backs behind him on the depth chart combined in their careers.
Barring a veteran signing, the Bengals will be hoping one of the younger RBs will show enough that they can spell Mixon for around a dozen or so snaps a game. That makes Mixon a strong RB2 with whoever wins the backup job holding some late-round handcuff potential in case of injury or he’s suspended by the NFL.
