Bengals' Key Offensive Weapon Receives Poor NFL Ranking

Bengals’ Key Offensive Weapon Receives Poor NFL Ranking originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

The Cincinnati Bengals are depending on their young running back, Chase Brown, to lead the ground game in 2025.

Brown showed his worth last year in his second season in the league with 990 rushing yards, 360 yards through the air and a total of 12 touchdowns.

Brown’s rushing prowess helped open up the passing game for star quarterback Joe Burrow, and it was hopefully a sign of things to come for the Bengals’ offense in 2025.

But not all are high on Brown’s game or his value to the Bengals.

Former NFL running back and current analyst for NFL Network, Maurice Jones-Drew ranked Brown at No. 31 in his running back rankings at NFL.com.

“Brown was solid in 2024, taking on a much bigger role within the offense in his second NFL season,” Jones-Drew said on NFL.com. “Brown’s placement here is less about his ability and more about the Bengals’ investment in the passing game. After watching Joe Burrow lead the league in many passing categories in 2024, Cincinnati extended both Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins on nine-figure deals. Cincy’s offense will flow through the aerial attack.”

Jones-Drew should know that the Bengals’ aerial attack can only work if they have a sufficient running game – that’s where Brown comes in.

Entering his third season, the fifth-round draft pick is once again the first option for Cincinnati in the ground game. He averaged 4.3 yards per carry last year behind a depleted offensive line.

With the Bengals making improvements there, Brown could be poised for his first career 1,000-yard season.

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 10, 2025, where it first appeared.

Bengals’ Key Offensive Weapon Receives Poor NFL Ranking

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