Bengals' Tahj Brooks: Limited to special teams in Week 5
Rotowire
Brooks played all 12 of his snaps on special teams in Sunday's 37-24 loss to the Lions.
After drawing some positive buzz in the spring and during training camp, Brooks has been unable to find a role on offense through the first five weeks of the season after averaging just 3.5 yards per carry on 21 totes during the preseason. Though starter Chase Brown (2.5 YPC) has gotten off to a rough start to begin the campaign, veteran backup Samaje Perine has been serviceable as a change-of-pace option behind Brown and has the trust of the coaching staff for his pass-catching and pass-blocking skills. With that in mind, Brooks may have a difficult time seeing the field as a rookie unless one of Brown or Perine misses time due to an injury.
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Bengals' Tahj Brooks: Week 4 Waiver Priority List
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Brooks got his first offensive touches of the season in Week 3 at Minnesota with five carries for 17 yards, and Samaje Perine left the game against the Vikings with a thumb injury. Chase Brown is also struggling to start the season, and maybe Brooks can get more work moving forward if the Bengals want to make some changes to their backfield. He's worth speculating on in deeper leagues for 1 percent of your remaining FAB.
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Bengals' Tahj Brooks: Limited to special teams in debut
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Brooks did not play a single offensive snap in Sunday's 17-16 win over the Browns.
Brooks was a complete nonfactor in the Bengals' season opener, failing to earn a single touch in the contest. Instead, the rookie running back was used solely on special teams, playing a total of 12 snaps with the unit. With Chase Brown taking the majority of snaps on offense and Samaje Perine operating as the team's No. 2 option, Brooks faces an uphill battle for playing time barring injuries. The Texas Tech product's next opportunity to get involved will come when the Bengals host the Jaguars in Week 2.
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Bengals' Tahj Brooks: Takes 14 touches for 56 yards
Rotowire
Brooks took 11 carries for 47 yards and caught three of four targets for nine yards in a 31-17 preseason win at Washington on Monday.
The rookie sixth-round pick had 10 carries for 26 yards and one catch for three yards in the preseason opener, coming in after Chase Brown and Samaje Perine. It was a similar story Monday, with Brown taking five carries on the first drive and then calling it a night. Brooks first entered midway through the first quarter and ended up playing well into the third quarter before handing things over to Kendall Milton. Brooks appears on track for a Week 1 roster spot, and while he may not initially have a role in the game plan, he'll be needed if Brown misses time.
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Bengals' Tahj Brooks: Path to touches becomes clearer
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Brooks has clearer path to backfield work behind starter Chase Brown and Samaje Perine in the wake of Cincinnati releasing Zack Moss (neck) on Wednesday, Kelly Singh of SI.com reports.
Brooks, a rookie sixth-round pick, has reportedly put together a strong start to training camp and impressed in the receiving game, per WLWT's Jaron May. With a capable veteran such as Moss around as a No. 3 option, Brooks' path to touches nonetheless looked murky, as Brown figures to dominate opportunities while Perine is a proven change-of-pace contributor. Will Moss now a free agent, however, Charlie Goldsmith of Fox 19 reports that Brooks has become the clear No. 3 running back. If the rookie can continue to compile momentum throughout training camp, it's conceivable he could challenge Perine for the backup role.
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Bengals' Tahj Brooks: Looks comfortable as pass catcher
Rotowire
Brooks is making a strong impression with his pass-catching skills in practices, WLWT's Jaron May reports.
Bengals HC Zac Taylor and OC Dan Pitcher both praised Brooks for his pass-catching ability during the offseason program. It now seems to be carrying over to training camp, where Brooks caught three passes in the first set of full-team drills Friday. The rookie sixth-round pick is expected to compete with Zack Moss (neck) and Samaje Perine for the second and third spots on the depth chart behind returning starter Chase Brown. The praise for Brooks' pass catching is perhaps unexpected, as he had just 548 receiving yards and two TDs in five seasons at Texas Tech, compared to 4,557 yards and 45 scores on the ground. The Bengals curiously list him at 5-foot-10, 230 pounds, which is 16 pounds above his weight from the 2025 Combine (where he ran a 4.52 40).
