Updated Bengals RB depth chart after trading for Khalil Herbert

The Cincinnati Bengals bucked their tradition of trade deadline day inactivity by trading for running back Khalil Herbert from the Chicago Bears prior to this year's deadline. The Bengals gave up a seventh-round pick in 2025 in order to bring in Herbert to bolster the backfield.

Cincinnati has struggled to consistently produce out of the backfield this season, and a neck injury to Zack Moss made the situation even more dire. Now the Bengals have another weapon to utilize out of the backfield.

With Herbert now in place, here's an updated look at the Bengals' backfield depth chart.

Bengals RB depth chart

RB1: Chase Brown

Brown has solidified himself as the team's top running back throughout the current campaign. He's coming off of his best game of the season -- and the first 100-yard game of his career -- against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 9. He had 120 yards on 27 carries against Las Vegas, and he also caught five passes for 37 yards and a touchdown.

Brown is averaging an impressive 4.6 yards per carry on the season, and if the Bengals continue to give him ample opportunity like they did against Las Vegas, he'll likely continue to put up big numbers.

RB2: Khalil Herbert

Herbert will slide into the second spot on Cincinnati's depth chart, at least in the absence of Zack Moss. He'll likely be used in a similar manner to Moss, which might mean a lot of third-down action, plus pass-blocking and receiving duties.

Herbert is in his fourth season in the league, but he was used extremely sparingly in Chicago this season. He had just eight rushing attempts for 16 yards and one touchdown in six games with the Bears in 2024. In his career, Herbert has a total of 372 attempts for 1,791 yards and nine touchdowns. He has a respectable career average of 4.8 yards per carry, and has also caught 45 passes for 291 yards and two more touchdowns. It will be interesting to see how the Bengals try to maximze his skill set.

RB3: Trayveon Williams

Williams is in his sixth season with the Bengals, but he continues to be a complete non-factor in the ground game. While he has been a consistent contributor on special teams he's played just seven total offensive snaps this season, and he hasn't received a single carry.

The fact that the Bengals went out and traded for Herbert shows that they clearly don't trust Williams to take on a larger role in the offense, so he will likely continue to be a non-factor throughout the remainder of the current campaign, barring more injury issues in the backfield.

Out indefinitely: Zack Moss

Moss missed Cincinnati's victory over Las Vegas in Week 9, and he's out indefinitely with a neck injury. So far, he's compiled 242 yards and two touchdowns on 74 carries in his first season in Cincinnati. He has also caught 23 passes for 187 yards.

It will be interesting to see exactly what Moss' role is when he is able to return to action following the addition of Herbert. Obviously, it will likely depend on when Moss is able to get back out onto the field, and how well Herbert plays in his absence. There's a world where Herbert could play well enough to lock up that RB2 spot moving forward, which would make Moss kind of a utility back upon his return.