As the Cincinnati Bengals look to get back to the playoffs (and hopefully the Super Bowl), their rushing attack needs to improve mightily. The passing game is clearly on point and will be lethal for quite some time with Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins all signed to long-term extensions. Now it's time for the run game to get back what it once was.
For years, the Bengals had two Oklahoma Sooners helping out their run game, as Joe Mixon was the star running back in Cincinnati and Samaje Perine was a solid depth piece on the roster. Unfortunately, the Bengals let Perine walk in free agency in 2023 but after two years away from the team, he's back in the Queen City.
While Perine is back in Cincinnati, there's no guarantee that he ends up on the 53-man roster. Chase Brown is the projected starter so he's getting a roster spot. Zack Moss was brought in a season ago and had nearly 800 rushing yards in 2023 so the hope is that he can still figure things out. The Bengals also drafted Tahj Brooks in the sixth round and he was an absolute work horse at Texas Tech.
When considering all of that, would it really be crazy to see Perine on the outside looking in?
Samaje Perine could be surprise Bengals cut fans didn’t see coming
While the Bengals could very well end up keeping Perine on their roster, giving them four running backs, if they do only keep three, he's probably the odd man out here. Brown will be the starter and there's a lot of hype surrounding Brooks, so there are two spots. Perine will really have to show that he hasn't missed a step from his 2022 season this summer if he wants to stick around.
All of that being said, Perine was an excellent depth piece during his time in Cincinnati and the team knows what he can do. If he can outplay Moss this summer, perhaps he has a chance at sticking on the roster. If not, his reunion with the Bengals might be short lived.