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Jul. 9—The Cincinnati Bengals felt good about their running game last year with Chase Brown continuing his ascent to a bigger role within the offense, and now he's got even more to show in a contract season.
That could bode well for the Bengals, as they look for ways to become even more explosive.
Most of the attention goes to the quarterback and wide receivers, but Brown has quietly become a well-rounded running back, and he's capable of moving the ball on the ground and through the air. The next level for him is getting his yards per reception stats closer to his 2023 high (11.1 yards per reception) and continuing to raise his yards per carry numbers, which have climbed each season.
Cincinnati also has Samaje Perine for third-down situations but needs to find ways to get Tahj Brooks more involved. There's still a big drop if something happens to Brown, who topped 1,000 yards rushing for the first time in his career last year.
Let's take a look at the 2025 performances of the Bengals' current running backs and how they are expected to stack up this season — with help from some analysis and data from Pro Football Focus.
This is the second in a series of pieces breaking down each position group for the Bengals.
RUNNING BACKS ON THE ROSTERStarter: Chase Brown
Reserves: Samaje Perine, Tahj Brooks
Others in the mix: Gary Brightwell, Kentrel Bullock, Jamal Haynes, Kendall Milton
BROWN BY THE NUMBERS2025 stats: 1,019 yards rushing, 6 rushing TDs, 232 carries; 437 yards receiving, 5 receiving TDs, 69 catches
PFF grades for 2025: Brown ranked 22nd of 55 qualifying halfbacks with an overall grade of 75.1. He was 23rd in rushing grade (77.2) and 11th in receiving grade (71.9). Brown also posted a run blocking grade of 56.1 and a pass blocking grade of 27.7.
Ranking going into 2026: He projects as the No. 18 halfback, up from No. 25 last year.
PERINE BY THE NUMBERS2025 stats: 382 yards rushing, 3 TDs on 84 attempts (4.5 yards per carry); 87 yards receiving on 17 catches
PFF grades for 2025: Perine posted an overall offensive grade of 66.6, which ranked 47th. He had a running grade of 71.3 (ranked 41st), a receiving grade of 60.3 (ranked 28th), a run blocking grade of 57.7 and a pass blocking grade of 39.1.
No projected ranking for 2026
BROOKS BY THE NUMBERS2025 stats: 16 carries for 45 yards (2.8 yards per attempt); 1 catch for 9 yards; played 47 total snaps on offense
PFF grades for 2025: Brooks had an offensive grade of 48.7, a running grade of 56.8, a receiving grade of 59.6, a run blocking grade of 60.0 and a pass blocking grade of 2.9 in limited action.
No projections for 2026
FURTHER ANALYSISBrown moved up in the projected rankings for 2026, compared to where he was last year at this time, but he has potential to be an even bigger difference-maker for the Bengals.
PFF.com's Dalton Wasserman and Max Chadwick listed Falcons halfback Bijan Robinson as the best at his position in ranking all 32 starting running backs. Detroit's Jahmyr Gibson and Baltimore's Derrick Henry followed, while Brown sat in the middle tier at No. 18.
"The Bengals are known for their lethal aerial attack, but Brown has become a stable force in their backfield," Wasserman and Chadwick wrote. "He recorded his first 1,000-yard campaign in 2025 while placing fifth among all running backs with 69 regular-season receptions. If Brown can continue to offer that same level of production, the Bengals can boast an authentic two-dimensional offensive unit."
Wasserman and Chadwick put together their rankings based on career production, work as a runner and receiver and both standard and advanced statistics.
Regardless of where Brown stands in rankings (he also was outside the top 10 in ESPN's running back list), he brings a lot of value to the Bengals, and they need to capitalize on what could be his final season before he becomes potentially too expensive to hold onto.
Cincinnati is comfortable with Brown in any situation, and Perine is a solid backup and someone who has been effective in pass protection, which is important for any running back in this offense. However, Brooks needs to use preseason and training camp to show if he is ready to take the next step, to start seeing more opportunities over Perine.
Continue reading...
That could bode well for the Bengals, as they look for ways to become even more explosive.
Most of the attention goes to the quarterback and wide receivers, but Brown has quietly become a well-rounded running back, and he's capable of moving the ball on the ground and through the air. The next level for him is getting his yards per reception stats closer to his 2023 high (11.1 yards per reception) and continuing to raise his yards per carry numbers, which have climbed each season.
Cincinnati also has Samaje Perine for third-down situations but needs to find ways to get Tahj Brooks more involved. There's still a big drop if something happens to Brown, who topped 1,000 yards rushing for the first time in his career last year.
Let's take a look at the 2025 performances of the Bengals' current running backs and how they are expected to stack up this season — with help from some analysis and data from Pro Football Focus.
This is the second in a series of pieces breaking down each position group for the Bengals.
RUNNING BACKS ON THE ROSTERStarter: Chase Brown
Reserves: Samaje Perine, Tahj Brooks
Others in the mix: Gary Brightwell, Kentrel Bullock, Jamal Haynes, Kendall Milton
BROWN BY THE NUMBERS2025 stats: 1,019 yards rushing, 6 rushing TDs, 232 carries; 437 yards receiving, 5 receiving TDs, 69 catches
PFF grades for 2025: Brown ranked 22nd of 55 qualifying halfbacks with an overall grade of 75.1. He was 23rd in rushing grade (77.2) and 11th in receiving grade (71.9). Brown also posted a run blocking grade of 56.1 and a pass blocking grade of 27.7.
Ranking going into 2026: He projects as the No. 18 halfback, up from No. 25 last year.
PERINE BY THE NUMBERS2025 stats: 382 yards rushing, 3 TDs on 84 attempts (4.5 yards per carry); 87 yards receiving on 17 catches
PFF grades for 2025: Perine posted an overall offensive grade of 66.6, which ranked 47th. He had a running grade of 71.3 (ranked 41st), a receiving grade of 60.3 (ranked 28th), a run blocking grade of 57.7 and a pass blocking grade of 39.1.
No projected ranking for 2026
BROOKS BY THE NUMBERS2025 stats: 16 carries for 45 yards (2.8 yards per attempt); 1 catch for 9 yards; played 47 total snaps on offense
PFF grades for 2025: Brooks had an offensive grade of 48.7, a running grade of 56.8, a receiving grade of 59.6, a run blocking grade of 60.0 and a pass blocking grade of 2.9 in limited action.
No projections for 2026
FURTHER ANALYSISBrown moved up in the projected rankings for 2026, compared to where he was last year at this time, but he has potential to be an even bigger difference-maker for the Bengals.
PFF.com's Dalton Wasserman and Max Chadwick listed Falcons halfback Bijan Robinson as the best at his position in ranking all 32 starting running backs. Detroit's Jahmyr Gibson and Baltimore's Derrick Henry followed, while Brown sat in the middle tier at No. 18.
"The Bengals are known for their lethal aerial attack, but Brown has become a stable force in their backfield," Wasserman and Chadwick wrote. "He recorded his first 1,000-yard campaign in 2025 while placing fifth among all running backs with 69 regular-season receptions. If Brown can continue to offer that same level of production, the Bengals can boast an authentic two-dimensional offensive unit."
Wasserman and Chadwick put together their rankings based on career production, work as a runner and receiver and both standard and advanced statistics.
Regardless of where Brown stands in rankings (he also was outside the top 10 in ESPN's running back list), he brings a lot of value to the Bengals, and they need to capitalize on what could be his final season before he becomes potentially too expensive to hold onto.
Cincinnati is comfortable with Brown in any situation, and Perine is a solid backup and someone who has been effective in pass protection, which is important for any running back in this offense. However, Brooks needs to use preseason and training camp to show if he is ready to take the next step, to start seeing more opportunities over Perine.
Continue reading...
