After a 2024 breakout, the Cincinnati Bengals could be ready to hand the backfield keys to Chase Brown.
On Monday, offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher didn’t mince words — calling Brown “one of the focal points” of the Bengals offense for the 2025 season, per Marshall Kramsky of WCPO 9’s post on X, formerly Twitter.
Brown enters training camp this week as the undisputed lead back. Zack Moss returns on a reworked contract after a neck injury ended his 2024 campaign early. Samaje Perine is back in Cincinnati on a two-year deal he signed in March. And the touted rookie Tahj Brooks will likely carve out a passing-down or steady backup role at some point.
However, none of those ball carriers appear to threaten Brown’s volume. Judging from the OC’s comments, the third-year playmaker is set to be a major spark for the offense. Brown recorded 990 rushing yards on 229 attempts (4.3 YPA) and seven touchdowns in just 10 starts last season.
What Brown’s Role Means for the Bengals Offense
In somewhat of a meticulous approach, Pitcher isn’t giving much away — for good reason. The Bengals are aiming higher in 2025, building a steadier, more balanced attack offensively. Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase still steer the ship. Tee Higgins is there for one-on-one mismatches, and now the stacked run game, led by Brown, could keep defenses honest.
Burrow is coming off a career-best season with 460 completions for 4,918 yards, 43 touchdowns and a 70.6 percent completion rate. Chase led the NFL in receptions (127), yards (1,708) and touchdowns (17).
Higgins battled injuries but still posted 911 yards and 10 touchdowns in 12 appearances. Both wide receivers enter training camp fully healthy, so their production likely won’t budge despite Brown’s emergence. In fact, it could be quite the opposite.
OC Pitcher Is Maximizing Bengals’ Ceiling In Year 2
The team leaned on Burrow’s arm to survive the cold stretches of last year. Some of it worked, but there remained a lot to be desired, missing the playoffs and finishing 9-8. Pitcher vows to change that in his second run as offensive coordinator.
“Now, it’s just different,” Pitcher said in June, per The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. “We have a lot of guys on staff that have done parts of (building a running game) at different stops in their career and so it’s kind of listening to them, really delving into it myself and trying to come up with something that really kind of complements who we are and what our engine is.”
Once Brown took over as the clear RB1 of the Bengals last season, he didn’t look back. It was a sign that the offense is evolving — becoming more than just a team that likes to throw the ball. Last year, Cincinnati ranked second in dropbacks per game but 30th in rushing attempts. Despite that imbalance, the team finished sixth in scoring behind Burrow’s dominant passing.
Even against a negative game script, Brown is going to stay involved. The Bengals targeted him 65 times last season, finishing sixth among NFL running backs.
As training camp moves along, preseason gets underway, it’ll be interesting to see how Pitcher’s offense looks on the field before the September 7 regular season opener against the Cleveland Browns.
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