Chase Brown keeps looking more and more like a bargain Cincinnati may not be able to keep.
The Bengals’ running back has already established himself as one of the league’s better backs, but his contract still says something very different. Brown arrived as a fifth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, spent time behind Joe Mixon, and then had to hold off Zack Moss, who was given the starting job in 2024. Now that he’s in the lead role, Brown has shown exactly why Cincinnati was such a good fit for him in the first place.
The problem for the Bengals is that the running back market keeps climbing. Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Jonathan Taylor have all recently landed new deals, and every one of those contracts makes Brown’s situation look a little worse.
Spotrac currently projects his next deal at four years and $52.3 million, which would average $13 million per season. That would put him 10th among running backs by average salary after the wave of new agreements for Robinson, Gibbs, Walker, Breece Hall, Devon Achane, and Taylor.
Even that number may be light. Brown should be in the $14 million range this season based on what he brings to Cincinnati.
Instead, he is set to make $3.7 million in the final year of his rookie deal. Even with that pay bump included, his contract average still trails Samaje Perine and 2025 sixth-rounder Tahj Brooks.
The fantasy world is doing a better job than the contract market of telling the truth about Brown. ESPN’s fantasy draft rankings place him 10th among running backs, and Dave Kluge of Football Guys has him even higher at RB5. Kluge wrote, “Brown sputtered early in the season, but earned his preseason price tag as an elite RB1 over the second half of the season when Joe Burrow returned.”
That kind of respect matters, especially as the market keeps moving. Kenneth Walker III’s free-agent deal with Kansas City once made him the sixth-highest-paid back, but after the latest extensions, he has already dropped to ninth. Brown’s projected $13 million average would have him right in that neighborhood, while Walker is earning $14.3 million per year.
That is the number Cincinnati has to stare at now: whether Brown should be treated like a top-10 back, and whether the Bengals are willing to pay him like one. He could probably top the $14 million mark if he hits the open market, especially from a team looking for a true all-purpose runner. That kind of money, though, would likely require leaving Cincinnati.
For now, the Bengals still have Brown on the final year of his rookie contract, and the possibility of a franchise tag remains. But with the team also weighing other extensions for Turner and Dax Hill, the front office has more than one financial puzzle on its hands. If Brown plays out the year and keeps producing at a high level, he could force the issue and put Cincinnati in a tougher spot than it wants to be in.
There is still a path to a deal. A contract that lands Brown among the top 10 earners at the position would probably be higher than the Bengals want and lower than Brown would want, but it may be the middle ground that gets something done. For Cincinnati, the challenge is obvious: keep one of its most valuable offensive players without letting the price get completely out of reach.
In Other News...
Cam Taylor-Britts Fresh Start Just Took A Brutal Turn
Cam Taylor-Britts offseason reset hit a rough patch before he ever got to the first meaningful game of the year. The league handed him a one-game suspension without pay for violating the personal conduct policy, a penalty that stems from a past off-field incident during his time with the Bengals and now shadows his start with the Indianapolis Colts.
The suspension will keep Taylor-Britt out of Indianapolis Week 1 opener, though he remains eligible to practice and appear in preseason games. For a player trying to move forward in a new setting, it is an unwelcome early distraction, and one that brings fresh attention to a situation he was hoping to put behind him. [Read more 🡒]
Joe Burrow Just Raised The Stakes For Bengals Camp
Joe Burrow says the Bengals are approaching training camp with a championship mentality, and that mindset feels like more than just preseason talk around Paycor. The emphasis, as Burrow framed it, is on urgency and hard work in practice as Cincinnati tries to set the tone early for what it hopes turns into a playoff push.
One of the clearest signs of that edge is the addition of defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, who is already making life difficult for the offensive line in camp. For a team trying to sharpen every detail before the games count, having that kind of challenge on the practice field should help reveal where the Bengals are strong and where they still need work. [Read more 🡒]
Anthony Munoz Still Sets The Standard For Bengals Greatness
CBS Sports recently stirred the old debates again by unveiling its list of the top 100 players in NFL history, and Anthony Munoz landed near the top of it at No. 19. For Bengals fans, the bigger point was not just the number next to his name, but the familiar reminder that Munoz remains the gold standard at left tackle, a reputation built over 13 seasons in Cincinnati and backed by a Hall of Fame career that still anchors the franchises identity.
Munozs rsum is the kind that explains why his standing never really fades, from nine All-Pro selections and 11 Pro Bowl appearances to his spot on the NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1998 and remains a Bengals Ring of Honor member, and every new all-time list seems to end up circling back to the same conclusion: if the conversation is about greatness in Cincinnati, Munoz is still the benchmark everyone else is measured against. [Read more 🡒]