A key member of the Cincinnati Bengals' running back room will be staying with the team.
The Cincinnati Bengals were one of the teams with the least rushing yards in the 2024 season, and part of that might have had to do with one of their key running backs getting injured.
Zack Moss was off to a solid start through the first eight games of the season, but a neck injury sidelined him for the remainder of the season. As a result, Chase Brown stepped forward and became the lead back.
Now, Moss will be back on the field helping take same of the weight off of Brown's shoulders. The veteran running back will now be on a restructured contract, and it will cause the majority of his money to be guaranteed.
Through eight games in 2024, only six of which he started, Moss had 242 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. The Bengals were also getting him involved in the passing game with 187 yards and a touchdown through the air.
While Brown showed that he can shoulder the load in the backfield, having someone to take some of his carries could make him more efficient. He is a smaller back, so having Moss take some of the hits for him could be beneficial.
The 27-year-old Moss was scheduled to make $3 million in base salary and carried a $4.8 million cap hit this year previous to this restructure; obviously, the new deal is designed to lower his salary and cap hit for this season.
The new deal also suggests that Moss is likely recovering nicely from the neck injury.
The Bengals were hurting a bit in their first season without Joe Mixon, who also had a great season himself. Now that they have a year under their belt without the star, Moss and Brown will be looking to improve and help the team back to the top of the AFC.
