If the Cincinnati Bengals are going to keep running a vanilla, predictable running scheme, they need a transcendent tailback to elevate that lack of imagination. Chase Brown ain't that guy.
Could Brown flourish in the right system, with a more exotic playbook, elite run blockers and an offense build around the ground game? Maybe. But as things stand now in Cincinnati, Brown is a Joe Burrow checkdown merchant who isn't explosive enough to be a home run hitter, nor powerful enough to eke out extra yards.
This isn't, like, speculation. It's based on what's right in front of our faces, and the numbers back it up. And I'm not talking about mere box score scouting of Brown's nine carries for 10 yards in Week 4's loss to the Jaguars.
Chase Brown is dreadful in one crucial stat, and Samaje Perine can't help
Notice how I didn't absolve Zac Taylor of blame. And it's a bit annoying that Joe Burrow's response to Cincinnati's poor rushing performance on Sunday was to simply throw it more.
Chase Brown is abysmal at generating yards after contact. This has been the case for a while now. It's really glaring this year, as he ranks 38th through four games at 2.60 yards after contact per carry.
Guess where Samaje Perine is at? Only 1.69 yards after contact per carry. So the answer isn't coming from the current roster. Unless we get a miracle like Kentrel Bullock coming up from the practice squad, the solution isn't in the locker room.
PFF rates the Bengals' o-line 21st in run blocking. That's not great, but it's not, like, 32nd. If Brown really was a worthy franchise back, he could still produce more than 3.6 yards per carry overall, especially with an elite passing attack to complement him.
But nope. Brown just gobbles up short-range completions from Burrow, slams into defenders with zero signs of elusiveness, and really, I just don't get the hype anymore around him.
Burrow made it sound like Brown was the greatest thing since sliced bread after the first open practice of training camp, even suggesting he'd be the No. 2 option in the offense behind Ja'Marr Chase:
"We're going to try to get the ball in No. 1's hands as many times as we can, but I think a close second is Chase Brown. Just because of how explosive he is, things that he can do with the ball in his hand. He's taken a leap every single year, and I can't say enough good things about him."
I bought into it, too. Burrow doesn't just say things he doesn't believe. However, Brown hasn't held up his end of the bargain. His longest run on the year so far is 13 whole yards.
Bengals will struggle to find a new RB1 on the trade market
The sad aspect of all this is, the Bengals rode with Chase Brown, Samaje Perine and second-year nothing burger Tahj Brooks and they're paying dearly for it. There aren't many obvious trade candidates out there who can be had before the deadline.
If the Chargers keep struggling, Keaton Mitchell is an appealing option due to his raw speed. Titans standout Tony Pollard has four straight 1,000-yard seasons. Maybe he could be had.
I'm still partial to San Francisco 49ers speedster Isaac Guerendo, who also packs a serious punch at 6'0", 221 pounds. Alas, Guerendo is still on the PUP list as of this writing with a chest injury.
I won't be surprised when Brown pops off against the 0-4 Miami Dolphins in Week 5. That wouldn't mean the Bengals' flawed run game is solved, though. Far from it. Perhaps worse, it'd provide the illusion of a fix and not trigger any action from the front office.
It's weird. Too often aspects of the Bengals that feel like strengths (Brown's ascent, for example) jarringly transform into weaknesses right before our eyes. Jordan Battle is another instance of this unfortunate phenomenon.
Maybe Chase Brown just isn't that good. Pains me to say it, but that's what we're looking at.
And between Brown's lack of dynamism, Battle's horrendous play in 2026, and Andrei Iosivas' stint on IR and prior struggles, the supposed positive reappraisal of that 2023 draft class isn't looking quite as hot as it did down the stretch of last season.
Add us as a preferred source on Google