Bengals Roster Breakdown: Chase Brown has a full head of steam towards a larger role in the backfield

Throughout the summer leading up to the regular season, we will go through the entire 2024 Cincinnati Bengals roster. Every single day until the season opener against the New England Patriots , we will break down a player on the roster including his background, contract status, and path towards making the team.

Today, we prepare for a big year from running back Chase Brown. Last year's fifth-round pick finished his rookie season strong, and with a new era dawning for Cincinnati's run game, now's the time for Brown to become more involved in an effort to create a more explosive offense.

Chase Brown

• Age: 24
• Year: 2nd
• Position: Running back
• College: Illinois
• Previous Teams: None
• Jersey Number: 30

Brown was drafted by the Bengals with the 163rd overall pick in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. He played one year at Western Michigan as a freshman in 2018 with aspirations of becoming a pilot. A transfer to Illinois was in store for him the following year so he could play with his twin brother, Sydney. He spent the next four seasons with the Fighting Illini and emerged as the starter in the shortened 2020 COVID season. He cracked 1,000 yards on the ground for the first time in 2021 and was named All-Big Ten third team despite missing two games with shoulder injuries.

Brown was even better and more durable in 2022, rushing the ball a whopping 328 times for 1,643 yards and 10 touchdowns. He earned All-Big Ten second team honors and became Illinois' first finalist for the Doak Walker Award, given annual to the nation's top running back. Only two Illinois running backs have ever rushed for more yards in a single season, and Brown is also second all-time in school history for career rushing yardage.

The story of both Chase and Sydney Brown cannot be told without recognizing where they came from. They were just young teenagers when their mom got sick and the family soon became homeless. The twins moved to Florida not long after to live with a host family in order to fully focus on football as a way out of that life. It was this decision that got both of them the exposure they needed to eventually make the NFL.

Chase was drafted a few rounds after his brother, and started low on the Bengals' depth chart as a late-round pick. Their was a need to replace Samaje Perine in the backfield to complement Joe Mixon, but Brown had to make strides during the season to earn that role. He only touched the ball five times in his first five games, and missed four games in the middle of the season with a hamstring injury.

By the time Brown was healthy again, the offense had changed completely with Jake Browning under center for the injured Joe Burrow. Brown got his opportunity and, literally, ran with it. He rushed for 173 yards on 42 attempts along with 149 receiving yards on 11 receptions. 89 yards on the ground were courtesy of runs that went 15 yards or more, giving him a Breakaway Percentage of 51.4%, courtesy of Pro Football Focus. The majority of his receiving yardage came on big plays as well, none bigger than his 54-yard first-career touchdown in which he ran 22.05 miles per hour, the second-fastest clocked speed for any player last season.

The Bengals had found their explosive option at running back, with the next step being getting more out of him on a snap-per-snap basis.

Contract details

Brown signed a four-year, $4,126,156 deal this offseason that will pay him the minimum salary for a player with his level of experience for the 2024 season.

His salary will cost $915,000 for the entire season if he's kept on the team for the entire regular season, but with a signing bonus of $286,156 prorated throughout the deal, his cap for this season will be $986,539.

Roster chances

We're really entering the territory or roster locks now. Brown is poised to be an integral part of the offense as one of the top two running backs alongside projected "starter" Zack Moss. There may be weeks where Moss dominates in snaps, and Brown may top him on some occasions as well.

Throughout the season, both of them will work together to form a new-look duo next to Burrow. Brown also worked tirelessly to improve as a receiver this offseason, so expect to see him on the field for plenty of passing downs.

Chances of making the roster: 100%

Previous player breakdowns

• Kwamie Lassiter II
• Domenique Davis
• Nate Gilliam
• Shaka Heyward
• Jaxson Kirkland
• Devin Cochran
• Justin Blazek
• Tre Mosley
• Cam Grandy
• PJ Jules
• Eric Miller
• Michael Dowell
• Lance Robinson
• Noah Cain
• Elijah Collins
• Rocky Lombardi
• Cole Burgess
• Aaron Casey
• Maema Njongmeta
• Austin McNamara
• Devonnsha Maxwell
• Matt Lee
• Daijahn Anthony
• Cedric Johnson
• Tanner McLachlan
• Josh Newton
• Travis Bell
• Allan George
• Shedrick Jackson
• Jeff Gunter
• Kendric Pryor
• Jake Browning
• DJ Ivey
• Brad Robbins
• Andrei Iosivas
• Devin Harper
• Logan Woodside
• Cal Adomitis

Related: Bengals Roster Breakdown: Elijah Collins has speed on his side to separate from other running backs