With Joe Mixon traded to the Texans on Tuesday, the Cincinnati Bengals were in need of reinforcements at running back, a need which was addressed with the signing of Zack Moss.
Coming off of his best NFL season, Moss said this week that he’s excited to play a larger role with a new team, and is ready for whatever he’s called upon to do to help the Cincy offense thrive.
“However I can help this team,” Moss said after his signing, via the team website. “If it’s catching the ball, running the ball, trying to keep Joe (Burrow) clean as much as I can with the big guys up front, whatever my role is being called that week, that’s what I’m going to try and do.”
The 26-year-old Moss started his career as a third-round pick of the Bills in 2020, taking second-string snaps for the first two-plus years of his career, and then holding a similar role after being traded to the Colts midway through the 2022 season.
But with Indianapolis’ starting running back Jonathan Taylor battling injuries once again in 2023, Moss got a chance to act as RB1, and took advantage of the opportunity.
He finished as the Colts’ leading rusher on the year with career-highs in rushing attempts (183), yards (794) and touchdowns (5) in 14 appearances, eight starts. Moss also tacked on 27 receptions for 192 yards and a pair of TDs through the air, underscoring his versatility in the offense.
For his efforts Moss was rewarded in free agency with a two-year, $8 million contract with the Bengals, and now has the chance to build on his breakout year with his new squad.
With Mixon’s trade, Cincinnati loses its leading rusher of the past few seasons, tasking Moss and second-year RB Chase Brown with filling in the gaps.
The Bengals ranked 31st in the league in rushing yards last season, with Mixon accounting for over two-thirds of their 1,527 total rush yards. With the bell-cow RB gone a revitalization of the unit is sorely needed, and it looks like this time it’ll be more of a committee approach.
Moss is expected to split duties with Brown, whose 44 carries for 179 yards were second on the team in 2023 despite seeing limited action as a rookie. But to what extent the snaps will be divided is yet to be determined, according to offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher.
“It’s definitely going to be collaborative,” Pitcher said. “You look across the league at that position anymore, and I think you’re best off when you’re sharing the workload with multiple people. Whether it’s two, three, four people. Everybody kind of fills their role. We’ll figure it out, but it comes back to what I’ve been saying all offseason. ‘What’s it going to take this week?'”
Cincinnati has also established itself as more of a pass-focused offense, considering the firepower brought by Burrow, which can lead to fewer opportunities for a running back. But when asked about how he views his role in this type of offense, Moss said that doesn’t change his determination, just his approach, looking to find new ways to be an impact.
“I’ve been in a pass-happy offense before and in that role you just kind of find out ways where you can help the team,” Moss said. “When I was in Buffalo, that was, okay, how can I be a better pass blocker? And that helped prepare me for each and every step that I’ve gone to and it’s helped me out as a back throughout the years.”
