With Joe Burrow shedding his usual "slow start" troubles and already looking close to midseason form through three weeks of football, Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown's own strong start to the year has flown under the radar.
Like Burrow, Brown historically has had serious issues getting going early on in the season, usually taking until October to really heat up and become effective, but now he seems to have gotten into gear in record time.
Let's compare Brown's first three weeks of his previous seasons to this one.
In his rookie season, 2023, he didn't get significant snaps until late in the year (his first game with more than two touches was against Jacksonville in December), and recorded only one carry and one reception in the first three weeks.
The following year, with the departure of longtime Bengal Joe Mixon, Brown saw a far more expanded role in the offense, though to start the year was still the 2nd back on the depth chart behind Zack Moss. In those three games, he recorded just 14 carries for 104 yards and five receptions for nineteen yards-- no touchdowns.
2025 was the first year Brown came in as the guy, and yet it was his ugliest start yet. Through three weeks, Brown struggled mightily, with 47 carries for just 93 yards, not even two yards per attempt. His receiving numbers looked better, at least, with eight receptions for 43 yards. He also did score a rushing touchdown in their season opener at Cleveland.
This year, Brown has come out of the gate swinging. In three weeks, the Illinois alum has 49 carries for 197 yards and a rushing touchdown, as well as ten receptions for 32 receiving yards. It is the best Brown has looked at the start of a season, especially as the lead back. Beyond stats, he looks faster and more shifty than he usually does this early in the season, which bodes well for Cincinnati's rushing attack.
Will Chase Brown have the best year of his career? And what could that mean for his future in Cincinnati?
As it stands right now, Brown is on pace for over 1,100 rushing yards (which would be a new career-high) and six rushing touchdowns, and that's assuming that he doesn't get better over the course of the season like he has in year's past. Right now, his receiving production is down, but if there's one thing that Zac Taylor and Joe Burrow are going to do, it's get the 2023 5th-round pick the ball in the passing game.
With that in mind, we could be looking at a 1,600+ all-purpose yard season from the 4th-year running back. If he can get 10+ total touchdowns-- which is a mark he has reached every year since becoming a core piece of the Cincinnati offense-- he could earn his first Pro Bowl honors. Maybe.
It'll be harder this year with the new game-less format and no alternates, but not out of the realm of possibility with those numbers.
Of course, when a player has the best year of their career, there's a common catalyst for it: the contract year. Wouldn't you know it, that's the exact situation Chase Brown is in this year, as he is slated to become a free agent in the 2027 offseason.
Heading into the season, people were already projecting the 4th-year halfback to get a deal around $12-13 million per year, which is about what Joe Mixon got (4 years, $48 million) when Cincinnati gave him an extension back in 2020. Granted, Mixon already had two 1,100+ rushing-yard seasons under his belt by that point, but the point is that AAV (average annual salary) isn't too rich for the front office's blood.
However, if Brown keeps this up and has a truly great 2026 season, his market value may kick up in turn, perhaps closer to $15-16 million per year. That price tag could definitely spark some hesitation from Mike Brown and Co., especially with how many big deals and extensions they just gave out this past offseason.
So, could Chase Brown having the best year of his career spell the end of his time in Cincinnati? Perhaps.
The good news is that they won't cross this bridge for another few months. So, looking ahead, the Bengals have a big test at home against the Jaguars after losing their first game of the season in Pittsburgh last week. With both of the teams they beat in Weeks 1 and 2 sitting at 0-3 on the season, Cincinnati needs this one to prove their strong start wasn't just a product of their opponents.
Let's see if Chase Brown can really get going in this one to continue his strong start to the season.
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