Despite just recently coming back to training camp after fully recovering from a neck injury that ended his previous season, one running back found himself on the chopping block.
The Cincinnati Bengals have cut running back Zack Moss on Wednesday, according to an announcement from the team.
Moss, 27, was previously on the non-football injury list pertaining to a neck injury that cut his season short in 2024.
Last season, Moss signed a two-year contract worth $8million. He then re-structured his deal for a contract worth $1.7m in 2025.
Cutting him leads to the Bengals eating a $1.88m dead cap penalty, but will net Cincinnati $1.2m in cap savings.
Moss’ return from injury coincided with an already-packed running back room at Paycor Stadium.
The Cincinnati Bengals have cut running back Zack Moss after re-structuring his contract
Moss, 27, recently made a full recovery after suffering a broken neck last season
Moss didn’t get surgery on his neck and healed naturally. He’ll now be looking for a new team.
Moss’ absence led to the rise of Chase Brown, a 2024 draft pick, as one of the best young running backs in the NFL.
Add to that the selection of Texas Tech rusher Tahj Brooks in the sixth round of this year’s draft and the re-signing of Samaje Perine, and the Bengals seemed chock full of running back options.
According to The Athletic, Moss discussed retirement with Bengals head coach Zac Taylor.
However, with three young children, Moss hoped to earn more NFL money before eventually calling it quits.
The 27-year-old began losing feeling in his arm in Week 8 last season before CT scans unveiled that he’d broken his neck in three places on his C6 vertebrae.
Moss opted to not undergo surgery, instead confining himself to bedrest and minimal head movement.
Now, he’ll have to hope for a new team to take the risk of picking him up as he’ll hope to improve his conditioning for 2025.
