The Bengals have spent plenty of time in the trade chatter tied to Jonathan Taylor, and Tony Pollard has already emerged as another name worth watching. But New York Jets running back Breece Hall belongs on that same list.
Hall has become a familiar name in trade speculation, and the timing makes sense with Braelon Allen suddenly surfacing for the 2-6 Jets. If New York decides to listen, Hall looks like the kind of move Cincinnati should at least explore.
At 25, Hall is still young, and he was a second-round pick who is under contract through at least 2027 with guarantees. The production has been there, too, even if he’s only played three games so far this season.
Last year, he ran for 1,065 yards and four touchdowns on a 4.4 average over 16 games while also catching 36 passes. Before this season, he had posted at least 876 rushing yards and four touchdowns in each of his previous three years.
In 2023, he totaled 994 rushing yards and five scores on a 4.5 average and added 76 receptions.
That kind of resume makes him an intriguing fit next to Chase Brown in Cincinnati’s backfield. Hall may not be the loudest name in the deadline conversation, but he’s a legitimate one.
And if the Bengals miss out on Taylor, they won’t be the only team calling the Jets. Teams looking elsewhere at the deadline are expected to ask about Hall’s price, and with Brown struggling and no real depth behind him after Samaje Perine, Cincinnati should be one of the teams making that call if the asking price makes sense.
In Other News...
Chase Brown Is Giving The Bengals Something This Offense Needs
The Bengals needed a steady hand out of the backfield in their overtime win over the Titans, and Chase Brown kept giving them exactly that. He was involved as both a runner and a receiver, finishing with eight catches for 46 yards and 12 carries for 55 yards, the kind of workload that shows how much the offense is leaning on him in key moments.
What has made Brown more than just a useful change-of-pace option is the growing trust around him in pass protection, which has become a real factor in how Cincinnati can deploy its offense. With the Bengals looking for stability behind the line and more balance in the backfield, Browns expanded role feels like one of the more important developments to watch as the season moves along. [Read more 🡒]
Dexter Lawrence Is Carrying A Bengals Defense Fans Still Can't Trust
Dexter Lawrence was all over the field in the Bengals overtime win against the Titans, the kind of disruptive night that can tilt a game even when the rest of the defense still feels shaky. He finished with 5 run stops, 2 pressures, a sack, a fumble recovery and 7 total tackles, and he kept drawing double teams while still finding ways to affect the pocket and the run game.
For Cincinnati, the encouraging part is obvious: one of its most important defensive pieces is playing at a high level and showing up in the biggest moments. The frustrating part is just as clear, because the Bengals still have enough issues around him that one standout performance does not erase the larger trust problem on that side of the ball. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Face Trade Deadline Pressure To Fix Two Key Weaknesses
With the trade deadline approaching, the Bengals are being pushed to look hard at two spots that have drawn attention all season: running back and outside linebacker. Cincinnati has reportedly been weighing roster upgrades, and the conversation has already turned to names that could help balance out the offense and give the defense a little more juice off the edge.
One league observer has pointed to Tampa Bay running back Kenneth Gainwell and Washington edge rusher K'Lavon Chaisson as possible fits, which at least shows the kind of profile Cincinnati may be chasing. Gainwell landed with the Buccaneers on a new deal after leaving Pittsburgh, while Chaisson has flashed pass-rushing ability on a short-term contract in Washington, leaving the Bengals with a familiar deadline question: whether the right move is available now, and how aggressive they want to be in fixing both problems. [Read more 🡒]