A no-nonsense back who played at nearly 230 pounds at Texas Tech and provided some of the best pass-protection film of any incoming rookie, Brooks feels like a perfect complement to Chase Brown's explosive play creation. Brooks certainly offers creativity of his own as an excellent processor and block-setter, but he simply lacks the top-end speed that Brown offers. However, Brown's big-play hunting sometimes comes at the expense of negative plays. Brooks was one of the most consistently successful down-to-down runners in the 2025 class and may prove to be the better option at keeping the Cincinnati Bengals run game on track. Brooks also has experience and highly efficient data as a man/gap runner, and the Bengals used man/gap-scheme blocking at the fifth-highest rate in the NFL in 2024. The fit feels perfect, and Brooks makes a lot of sense as a priority bench stash for Fantasy football drafters.
Fantasy Stats
rushing
receiving
fantasy
Year
yds
Rushing Yards
avg
Average Yards per Rush
td
Rushing Touchdowns
fl
Fumbles Lost
rec
Receptions
yds
Receiving Yards
td
Receiving Touchdowns
fpts
Fantasy Points
fpts/g
Fantasy Points per Game
2025
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
2024
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
2023
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
3y Avg.
—
0.00
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
Fantasy News
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.
... See More... See Less
Bengals' Tahj Brooks: Held to 29 total yards
Rotowire
Brooks took 10 carries for 26 yards and caught one of two targets for three yards in Thursday's preseason loss to the Eagles.
Chase Brown played 11 of 15 snaps for the first-team offense, with Samaje Perine taking the other four snaps but not getting any touches. Neither appeared to play at all thereafter, leaving Brooks in a three-down role for much of the game, getting snaps and touches well into the fourth quarter before Gary Brightwell took over at the end. Brooks didn't find much room to run, with his best play of the night arguably being a touchdown-saving tackle after an interception. The rookie sixth-round pick nonetheless has every chance to earn a Week 1 roster spot, as the Bengals don't have much of note in the backfield beyond Brown and Perine. Even the No. 3 RB role might put Brooks an injury away from fantasy value, seeing as Perine has largely been a passing-down specialist in the NFL.
... See More... See Less
Bengals' Tahj Brooks: Path to touches becomes clearer
Rotowire
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.
... See More... See Less
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).
