For most of the last seven seasons, the Cincinnati Bengals‘ rushing attack has gone through running back Joe Mixon, who averaged 1,331 combined yards and 9.7 touchdowns during his six full years on the job — 2020 was omitted since he played just six games. Cincy decided it was time to turn the page during the offseason, however, shipping Mixon off to the Houston Texans for a seventh-round pick.
That move came shortly after the Bengals agreed to a two-year, $8 million contract with free-agent RB Zack Moss, who was immediately penciled into the lead role in Cincinnati’s backfield. Beyond that, the club will be relying on low-usage RBs Chase Brown, Trayveon Williams, and Chris Evans, all of whom were on the roster in 2023.
While Mixon was the bell cow during his time in the Queen City, that doesn’t mean we should expect Moss to simply step into that role. With that in mind, let’s take an early look at how Cincinnati’s running back room will look in the upcoming season.
Zack Moss
Used sparingly during his first three seasons, Moss saw extended duty with the Indianapolis Colts last year when RB Jonathan Taylor dealt with contract and injury issues. Despite being highly productive early on, including a 165-yard, two-TD effort in Week 4, the Colts turned things over to Taylor once he was healthy and pushed Moss into a limited role for most of the rest of 2023.
That’s a pretty accurate microcosm of Moss’ career. As a third-round pick of the Buffalo Bills, the Utah product would have one or two good games and then disappear behind RB Devin Singletary, now with the New York Giants. Moss is a capable receiver with good power at 5-foot-10, 215 pounds, and you can bet he’ll be amped up to prove he belongs atop the depth chart for the first time in his career.
Chase Brown
A nonfactor over the season’s first two months, Brown finally started seeing some action down the stretch, gaining 61 yards on nine carries in a Dec. 4 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. He gained 105 combined yards and scored his only touchdown of 2023 a week later. All told, he averaged 8.8 touches and 53.7 yards per game over the final six weeks of his rookie campaign.
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That strong finish puts Brown squarely on track to be the No. 2 back this season. He offers a different skill set than Moss, capable of making defenders miss in the open field and make some big plays on the ground. Brown also caught 11 passes over the final five games, and that’s an aspect of his game that could be expanded in his sophomore season.
Trayveon Williams and Chris Evans
In terms of tenure, Williams leads the way, having been with the Bengals since Cincinnati selected him 182nd overall back in 2019. He opened last year as RB2 behind Mixon but was eventually replaced by Brown in that role. He appeared in all 17 games but logged just 22 touches.
Evans is another former draft pick of the club, entering his fourth season. Since posting 17 carries and 15 receptions as a rookie, Evans has managed exactly six touches in the last two seasons combined. There’s no reason to expect either play to fill a meaningful role in 2024, barring a catastrophic injury.
Fantasy football outlook
There are no sure things in Cincinnati’s backfield. Moss has looked good in isolated opportunities throughout his career, but neither the Bills nor the Colts felt he was their best option. Meanwhile, Brown flashed late in his rookie year, but the sample size is small, and you can never discount fresh legs making plays in the later months when teams have been worn down.
Still, all signs point to Moss being the primary ball carrier and Brown providing a change of pace, perhaps similar to how the Bengals utilized RB Samaje Perine (Denver Broncos) back in 2022 when he turned 95 carries and 38 receptions into 681 yards and five TDs. Moss projects as a midrange No. 3 fantasy back, while Brown checks in as an RB5. It does feel like there’s a little upside with Moss, though, so perhaps he can push for top-25 status.
