Perine rushed the ball six times for 16 yards in Sunday's 28-17 loss to the Packers. He added two receptions on three targets for 16 yards.
Perine saw a season-high six carries and eight total touches, as he continued to even the workload with Chase Brown. Perine hasn't proven capable of putting up viable fantasy performances to this point, with Sunday representing his highest yardage output. Nevertheless, it will be worth monitoring how touches are distributed in the Cincinnati backfield moving forward.
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Bengals' Samaje Perine: Workload increasing
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Perine carried four times for 27 yards and gained two yards on two receptions in Sunday's 37-24 loss to the Lions.
More importantly, Perine played 29 offensive snaps, good for 47 percent of the Bengals' offensive snaps. With top running back Chase Brown off to a slow start to the season, Perine might continue to cut into his snap share, especially when the Bengals are playing from behind.
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Bengals' Samaje Perine: One carry in loss
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Perine rushed once for four yards and failed to secure his lone target in Monday's 28-3 loss to the Broncos.
Perine played 15 of the Bengals' 48 offensive snaps Monday, while starting running back Chase Brown was on the field for 35 snaps. Operating as the clear backup, the 30-year-old Perine was unable to do much of anything with his limited opportunities. Barring an injury to Brown, Perine doesn't hold much fantasy value on a struggling offense. The Bengals are set to host the Lions in Week 5.
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Bengals' Samaje Perine: Won't return vs. Minnesota
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Perine (thumb) has been ruled out for the rest of Sunday's game against the Vikings.
Perine injured his right thumb in the first half of Sunday's game and won't return for the final two quarters of the contest. Tahj Brooks should see additional work out of the backfield behind Chase Brown due to Perine's injury.
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Bengals' Samaje Perine: Exits with thumb injury
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Perine is questionable to return to Sunday's game against the Vikings due to a right thumb injury.
Perine went to the locker room late in the second quarter, where medical staff will evaluate the severity of his thumb injury. Rookie sixth-rounder Tahj Brooks should see some snaps out of the backfield behind Chase Brown for as long as Perine is out of the game.
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Bengals' Samaje Perine: Targeted twice in Week 1
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Perine caught both of his targets for six yards in Sunday's 17-16 win over the Browns.
Operating as the No. 2 running back behind Chase Brown, Perine failed to record a single carry in the contest. The 29-year-old was a distant afterthought in the Bengals' offensive plans, playing just 13 of Cincinnati's 52 offensive snaps, while Brown was on the field for 39 snaps and handled 24 total touches. Barring an injury to Brown, Perine will likely hold very little fantasy value going forward, keeping him off the fantasy radar as anything more than an insurance policy. Next up for the veteran is a Week 2 matchup against the Jaguars.
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Bengals' Samaje Perine: Takes four snaps with starters
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Perine didn't get any touches but played four of 15 snaps with the first-team offense in Thursday's preseason opener at Philadelphia, Jay Morrison of SI.com reports.
Chase Brown played the other 11 first-team snaps and took eight touches for 48 yards. Neither Brooks nor Perine appeared to play after the second drive, with rookie Tahj Brooks taking over and dominating carries into the second half. This seems like a decent preview of what to expect during the regular season -- namely, Perine getting some playing time on pass plays but not seeing much of the ball. The question is whether he or Brooks would have more value in the event of a Brown injury.
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Bengals' Samaje Perine: Set to work behind Brown
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Following the recent release of Zack Moss, Perine and Tahj Brooks are in line to serve as the top complementary options behind top back Chase Brown, Charlie Goldsmith of Fox19.com reports.
Per Goldsmith, Brown -- who handled 229 carries in 16 regular-season games in 2024 -- remains on track to handle the majority of the team's RB snaps this year, while Perine figures to factor in on passing downs. For now, Goldsmith indicates that Brooks profiles as the No. 3 option in Cincinnati's backfield, but the rookie sixth-rounder has made some notable plays in training camp and it's plausible that he will push Perine for slotting behind Brown as the summer rolls along.
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Bengals' Samaje Perine: Reunion with Cincinnati on tap
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The Bengals are slated to sign Perine to a two-year contract worth up to $3.8 million, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.
Perine gets a chance to return to Cincinnati, where he played from 2020-22. The veteran pass-catching specialist figures to operate primarily as a change-of-pace option with the Bengals, with Chase Brown (ankle) standing atop the depth chart after a breakout 2024 campaign, and Zack Moss (neck) under contract for one more season. Across 17 regular-season games with the Chiefs in 2024, Perine rushed 20 times for 92 yards and a touchdown, while also securing 28 catches of 35 targets for 322 yards and a touchdown.
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Chiefs' Samaje Perine: Works as pass-catching back in 2024
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Perine rushed 20 times for 92 yards and a touchdown in 17 games during the 2024 regular season, adding 28 catches for 322 yards and a touchdown on 35 targets.
Of Perine's 20 carries during the regular season, 11 came in a two-week stretch in Weeks 3 and 4. He contributed a little bit in the playoffs with a carry for eight yards in the Super Bowl and a catch for 17 yards against the Bills in the AFC Championship Game, but most of his extended work came while Isiah Pacheco was sidelined early in the year due to a rib injury. Perine still has proven to be a reliable pass catcher but hasn't graded out particularly well as a pass blocker in the last couple of campaigns, per PFF. He'll enter the 2025 offseason as an unrestricted free agent following his one-year deal with the Chiefs and will compete with others on the market and a strong rookie running back crop for a backup job next fall.
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Chiefs' Samaje Perine: Three catches in Week 16
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Perine didn't log a carry while catching all three of his targets for 50 yards in Saturday's 27-19 win over the Texans.
Perine made his biggest impact in the passing game, as usual, producing a season-high 50 receiving yards in the win. The running back played just 13 offensive snaps, his lowest total since Week 10, as both Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt are healthy and garnering touches out of the backfield. Perine has turned 17 carries into 82 yards and a touchdown while adding 25 receptions for 289 yards and a score over 15 games in 2024.
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Chiefs' Samaje Perine: Minimal work against Chargers
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Perine totaled one rush for three yards and caught one of two targets for 16 yards during Sunday's 19-17 win versus the Chargers.
Perine's role hasn't changed much despite the return of Isiah Pacheco from injured reserve before Week 13, as he's totaled 32 offensive snaps and three touches over the last two weeks, which represents a slight downgrade from the 3.1 touches per game he averaged prior to Pacheco's return. He should continue to hold a minor role in the offense but seems unlikely to register on the fantasy radar unless injuries strike again in the Kansas City backfield.
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Chiefs' Samaje Perine: Tallies three touches in Week 12
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Perine totaled one carry for 13 yards and hauled in both of his targets for 11 yards during Sunday's 30-27 victory against the Panthers.
Perine continues to serve a purpose as a receiver out of the backfield for the Chiefs, and he logged a carry Sunday for the first time since Week 13. However, his work amounted to just three total touches for 24 yards, aside from the 104 yards he racked up as a kick returner. He could continue to serve a role in the return game moving forward, especially with Isiah Pacheco's (ankle) impending return presumably siphoning away more of Perine's backfield reps.
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Chiefs' Samaje Perine: Claims two passes versus bills
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Perine didn't tally a carry but reeled in two of his four targets for eight yards during Sunday's 30-21 defeat versus Buffalo.
Perine nabbed double-digit snaps (11) again Sunday, but his string of eight consecutive games reaching that plateau may end in Week 12 with Isaiah Pacheco (ankle) primed to make his return to the gridiron. Assuming that occurs, Pacheco and Kareem Hunt should take hold of the vast majority of snaps, leaving Perine and Carson Steele with minimal opportunities moving forward.
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Chiefs' Samaje Perine: Posts pair of grabs versus Broncos
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Perine didn't tally a carry but reeled in both of his targets for 37 yards during Sunday's 16-14 victory over the Broncos.
While Perine saw limited action (16 snaps) on offense, he made a notable play, scampering for 35 yards on one of his two receptions in a drive that ended up with a field goal. Even so, he's hardly producing enough weekly to warrant a look in fantasy leagues, especially with Isiah Pacheco on the cusp of a return to the playing field. Once Pacheco returns, Perine would presumably drop to third on the depth chart behind Pacheco and Kareem Hunt, further diminishing his fantasy value.
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Chiefs' Samaje Perine: Sleeper RBs
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Perine could be a desperation play in deeper leagues in Week 10, given the matchup against the Broncos. Remember, Denver cut Perine this season before he ended up in Kansas City, so there's a revenge game narrative for him in this game. It helps that he just caught four passes for 25 yards and a touchdown on five targets against Tampa Bay in Week 9, and his targets and receptions were a season-high. If you need help at running back, Perine could be a flex option in deeper formats.
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Chiefs' Samaje Perine: Notches two receptions in Week 8
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Perine hauled in both of his targets for 30 yards during Sunday's 27-20 win over Las Vegas.
On a positive note, Perine compiled a pair of catches in the first half of the contest. On a negative one, he didn't tally another in the second half and finished the day with just 30 total yards. He also recovered a fumble by tight end Travis Kelce, but Perine saw the field on just 31 percent of offensive snaps. That still ranked second on the team to Kareem Hunt (58 percent) and well ahead of Carson Steele (11 percent), but Perine's minimal involvement leaves him off the fantasy radar in most leagues, especially with Isiah Pacheco potentially returning within the next month based on his initial timetable.
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Chiefs' Samaje Perine: Tallies one touch on MNF
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Perine did not receive a carry but gathered in one of his two targets for 24 yards during Monday's 26-13 victory versus the Saints.
Perine played the second-most snaps (21) among the Chiefs' backs in Monday's contest, but that was still less than half of Kareem Hunt's 53 snaps and just five more than Carson Steele, who tallied four more touches. Perine sees some work on passing downs, but that could be short-lived, with Clyde Edwards-Helaire potentially returning after the bye week.
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Chiefs' Samaje Perine: Totals five carries versus Saints
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Perine compiled five carries for 14 yards and one touchdown during Sunday's 17-10 win versus the Chargers.
An early Carson Steele fumble likely shifted the workloads in the running back room Sunday, resulting in Kareem Hunt leading the way with 14 carries and Perine claiming five. Even if Steele has played his way out of some snaps, Hunt remains ahead of Perine in the pecking order, and Clyde Edwards-Helaire (illness) is expected back in Week 5, so there isn't a ton to like about Perine's fantasy prospects moving forward.
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Chiefs' Samaje Perine: Gets nine touches with Pacheco hurt
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Perine rushed six times for 25 yards while catching three of four targets for 15 yards in Sunday's 22-17 win over the Falcons.
Perine played second fiddle to Carson Steele (17 carries for 72 yards) in Kansas City's first game without Isiah Pacheco (fibula), who is expected to be out for six-to-eight weeks. While Perine has carved out some utility in passing situations, he remains an afterthought in the game plan, and Kansas City's backfield could get more crowded in the coming weeks with Kareem Hunt having joined the practice squad Tuesday and Clyde Edwards-Helaire (illness) eligible to come off the reserve/non-football illness list Week 5. Perine will likely maintain his spot as a change-of-pace option against the Chargers in Week 4.
