The Cincinnati Bengals are entering the 2026 NFL season with plenty of optimism around their Super Bowl and playoff chances, but the roster still has a spot that could use another piece: the running back room.
Joe Burrow and the offense are back, and the defense has already been upgraded in a big way. Even so, there’s still room for the Bengals to get stronger before the season starts, especially behind Chase Brown.
That’s where a trade idea from Moe Moton of Bleacher Report comes in. Moton linked Cincinnati to a deal with the Los Angeles Chargers that would send a late-round pick - specifically, a late 2027 pick - to Los Angeles for running back Kimani Vidal.
"Cincinnati Bengals: Trade a late 2027 pick for Los Angeles Chargers RB Kimani Vidal," Moton proposed.
The logic is straightforward. Cincinnati gets more depth. Los Angeles gets another draft asset after already finding a replacement on the roster.
Brown is a solid starter, and Samaje Perine gives the Bengals a reliable backup, but the rest of the depth chart comes with more uncertainty. Vidal would give them another legitimate option in the backfield.
Last season, Vidal ran for 643 yards and three touchdowns on 155 carries while stepping into a backfield hit hard by injuries. He also caught 16 passes on 22 targets for 136 yards and one touchdown.
At 5-foot-8 and 215 pounds, Vidal profiles as the kind of depth addition that could matter quickly if Cincinnati needed him. He also looks like a player who could be available in trade talks.
The Chargers used a first-round pick on Omarion Hampton in 2025, and this offseason they added Keaton Mitchell to be the new backup running back. That leaves Vidal as, at best, the third option on the roster.
He still has some value to Los Angeles, but a late-round pick could be enough to make sense if the Chargers want to add flexibility and find another depth piece elsewhere.
For the Bengals, the appeal is obvious. Vidal would strengthen a backup situation that could get shaky fast if Brown missed time. With him in the fold, Cincinnati would be in a much better spot if it had to survive a game or two without its lead back.
In Other News...
Another Former Chargers Safety Is Emerging In Jesse Minter's Orbit
The Chargers defensive coaching tree has a familiar feel again after Jesse Minter left for Baltimore and Chris OLeary stepped in as the new defensive coordinator. The thread running through it is Vanderbilt, where the staff connections have kept former Chargers safeties in the conversation and helped create another possible pipeline back to Los Angeles.
Vanderbilts defense has taken a real step forward under that group, climbing from 126th to 50th in scoring defense while finishing 18th against the run. Within the building, the work has drawn strong praise, and the way those coaches have meshed together is exactly the kind of thing the Chargers will keep watching as they shape the next version of Minters defense. [Read more 🡒]
Justin Herbert Gets Dragged Into Another Viral Madison Beer Storm
Justin Herbert keeps finding his name attached to Madison Beer headlines, and this latest round had nothing to do with football. A viral clip making the rounds online was falsely linked to Beer, even though the person in the video was content creator Sophia Frutos, while Beer has been busy with her music and an international tour. For Chargers fans, it is another reminder that Herberts off-field life has a way of spilling into the spotlight whenever Beers profile spikes.
The quarterback has already shown he is willing to make room for that part of his life, missing part of the Chargers offseason program to support Beer on her European tour. Jim Harbaugh was publicly fine with it, which only added to the sense that this is not becoming a distraction inside the building. Herbert even showed up for the opening-night performance of 15 MINUTES, where he was there for the choreographed dance routine, so the only real suspense now is how often his name will keep getting pulled into the next viral wave. [Read more 🡒]