The Bengals may already have a crowded backfield, but Trey Benson is the kind of waiver claim that can force a front office to pause and do the math.
Arizona waived the former third-round pick with an injury designation on Monday. If he clears waivers, he would revert to the Cardinals’ injured reserve. That leaves Cincinnati with a decision: ignore the injury risk, or see whether a 24-year-old back with real draft pedigree is worth the gamble.
Benson’s knee injury is the obvious catch. Still, if the Bengals like where he stands medically, there’s enough upside here to make a claim worth considering, even with the room already packed.
The Cardinals took Benson at No. 66 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft after his run at Florida State, and he has shown enough in limited chances to stay on the radar. Across two seasons, he has rushed for 451 yards on 92 carries, good for 4.9 yards per attempt. Last season, he was even more efficient, posting 5.5 yards per carry on 29 tries, though he only played in four games.
That kind of profile makes him intriguing for a Bengals team that already has Chase Brown locked in as the lead back and Samaje Perine behind him with veteran experience. Behind those two, Tahj Brooks, Gary Brightwell, Kendall Milton, Kentrel Bullock, and Jamal Haynes are all in the mix for reserve spots.
Brooks is the favorite to land the third running back job, but Benson would give Cincinnati another challenger there. And with training camp bodies already piling up, that shouldn’t automatically shut the door on a player with Benson’s talent level.
The appeal is pretty simple: Benson is still young, was viewed as one of the better backs in the 2024 class, and has already flashed at the NFL level. That combination doesn’t usually come available this early in a player’s career.
The question is whether the Bengals want to inherit the knee issue. If they believe Benson can get back to full strength, his long-term ceiling may be more valuable than another depth piece already on the roster.
For now, he stands out as one of the more interesting names on the waiver wire this week, and Cincinnati should at least take a hard look.
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