Cincinnati had a short leash for veteran running back Zack Moss.
The Bengals announced on Wednesday that they were releasing Moss despite having re-worked his contract earlier this offseason.
The 27-year-old began training camp on the non-football injury list after his 2024 season was cut short with a neck injury.
The sides agreed to restructure a two-year, $8 million deal that he signed in 2024, but Monday’s cut will instead cost the Bengals $1.88 million in dead salary cap money, though they will eventually end up saving $1.2 million.
Moss rushed for 242 yards and two touchdowns in eight games for the Bengals last season and will now look to get healthy enough to land a job with a new team.
With Moss gone, Chase Brown is further cemented as the bell cow running back in the Bengals backfield, with Samaje Perine expected to take a stranglehold of the backup job and mix in on third downs.
Rookie Tahj Brooks, a former Texas tailback, has an opportunity to step up in training camp and make it more palatable to move on from the veteran Moss.
Dallas Cowboys beat reporter RJ Ochoa reported on Wednesday that the Cowboys were interested in signing Moss last season and with him a free agent again, it’s “worth keeping an eye on.”
Moss had a successful run with the Bills for 2 1/2 years after being drafted in the third round in 2020 out of Utah.
He also spent 22 games with the Colts, with his career-best season coming in 2023 when he rushed for 794 yards.
