CINCINNATI (AP) — A possible contract extension for running back Chase Brown has been one of the underlying questions during Cincinnati Bengals training camp.
With Detroit’s Jahmyr Gibbs, Indianapolis’ Jonathan Taylor and Atlanta’s Bijan Robinson receiving new deals earlier this week, Brown is hoping he can follow suit.
“It’s huge for them individually, but then the running back market itself, it’s definitely bolstered that up. It’s cool seeing where the position value is going,” Brown said. “I think it pushes up everybody’s market value. I love the way it keeps climbing, and I hope it keeps trending in that direction.”
If Brown gets an extension before the Sept. 13 season opener against Tampa Bay, it must be completed by Labor Day. Director of player personnel Duke Tobin has prioritized signing some 2022 and ’23 draft picks to extensions before the regular season. Besides Brown, safety Dax Hill (a first-round pick in 2022) and cornerback DJ Turner (a second-round pick in 2023) are also on Tobin’s list to re-sign.
Brown, entering his fourth season, is in the same mold as Gibbs and Robinson. All three are talented running backs who are also skilled at catching the ball out of the backfield. Brown was one of five NFL players with at least 1,000 rushing and 400 receiving yards.
Brown’s 123 receptions the past two seasons are fourth among NFL running backs, and his nine receiving touchdowns are tied for second.
“We wouldn’t be as good of an offense as we are and that we plan to be, if we didn’t have Chase,” quarterback Joe Burrow said. “There’s only a couple backs in this league that can do all the things that he does, and probably doesn’t get as many opportunities as he should because of the other guys that we have, but he just makes big plays when he touches it.”
Brown’s 1,456 scrimmage yards last season were an NFL single-season record for a Canadian-born player. The London, Ontario, native also had a franchise record six straight games with at least 100 scrimmage yards.
In his first year as the Bengals’ top back, Brown rushed for 1,019 yards. He started slow in the first six games, averaging 2.7 yards per carry, but averaged 5.7 in the final 11.
“I just want to be a more patient runner, kind of what I was doing in the later half of last season,” he said.
Brown is already a great receiver but said he worked to become more aggressive catching the ball during the offseason. He also believes that with all 11 starters returning, the offense can present more looks and formations, which could help spur the running game.
Samaje Perine is also back as Brown’s backup along with Tahj Brooks, who is going into his second season.
“I feel like there’s a lot that we can get better at as a group and that’s kind of what you figure out as training camp goes on. But I think it has been a good start,” Brown said. “We’re trying to transfer that late-season energy into the start of this year.”
Brown will also be key if the Bengals want to get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2022. Cincinnati was 6-11 — including 1-8 when Burrow missed nine games due to turf toe.
“He does everything. He’s a complete back. He can protect. He trains as a receiver all offseason. When you have a guy like that, you don’t have to take him off the field,” Burrow said of Brown. “You can build different packages for him in different places on the field. Obviously we’re going to get the ball in No. 1 (Ja’Marr Chase’s) hands as many times as we can. But I think a close second is Chase Brown just because of how explosive he is and the things he can do with the ball in his hands.”
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Joe Reedy, The Associated Press
