Contract Terms
The Cincinnati Bengals are moving on from Joe Mixon and have found his replacement, former Indianapolis Colts running back Zack Moss. NFL Network's Mike Garafolo and Tom Pelissero reported that Moss has agreed to a two-year, $8 million deal.
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Fantasy Football Impact
Mixon is out, and Moss is in on the heels of a breakout season in which he proved to be a capable stand-in while powering the Colts' running game when called upon during two separate absences for All-Pro back Jonathan Taylor.
Moss began the season as the Colts' starting back while Taylor was on the physically unable-to-perform list. Taylor's absence afforded Moss the opportunities he rarely enjoyed during two seasons with the Buffalo Bills. NFL.com's Grant Gordon notes that Moss has registered each of his top three rushing performances since being traded to the Colts in 2022, including a career-best 165-yard effort against the Tennessee Titans last October.
Moss was the NFL's third-leading rusher through five weeks with Taylor out of the lineup. He finished with 794 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns in 14 games while missing two games late in the season with a shoulder injury. He also flashed his ability as a receiver, catching a career-high 27 passes for 192 yards and two touchdowns.
The Colts' decision to give Taylor a long-term, $42 million extension last season directly impacted Moss' future due to just how much more the Colts would invest at running back.
A 2020 third-round pick from Utah, Moss, who turned 26 in December, has averaged 4.3 yards per carry over his career while rushing for 2,076 yards and scoring 18 total touchdowns with the Colts and Bills.
With Mixon no longer in the picture, Moss will get a chance to play a significant role in one of the league's more prolific offenses. Even if he winds up in some form of timeshare with speedy second-year man Chase Brown (and the newly extended Trayveon Williams), it's hard to imagine Moss not outperforming his initial Footballguys 2024 Draft Ranking of RB73.
While he might not leap immediately into Mixon's RB2 range, those drafting in early best balls can expect him to join the RB3 conversation in short order.
The Fantasy Football Fallout
Mixon has been the Bengals' primary running back for the past seven seasons. In 2023, he rushed for 1,034 yards and nine touchdowns and totaled 1,410 yards from scrimmage. ESPN.com's Ben Baby reminded readers that Mixon and the Bengals agreed to an amended contract last July that reduced his salary and salary cap charge for the 2023 season. That deal also included a $3 million roster bonus due on March 18, which served as an unofficial deadline for Cincinnati to take action on his contract.
Mixon started in 88 of his 97 appearances in his seven seasons with the Bengals. He had four 1,000-yard rushing seasons and threw a touchdown pass in a Super Bowl LVI loss that capped Cincinnati's best postseason run in over three decades. Even with the number of running backs who went in the first day of the legal tampering period, there will be suitors for Mixon with several teams (with the Ravens and Cowboys offering the most appealing openings among them) in need.
The landing spot will be determinative here.
Meanwhile, Baby reports the Bengals ranked 27th in the NFL in running back carries that went for 12 or more yards. An explosive running game that the Bengals wanted at the beginning of the season never materialized. While Moss will be a big part of that, Brown will also be.
A hamstring injury derailed the first three months of Brown's rookie year. After, however, the fifth-round pick showed flashes of dynamic playmaking out of the backfield, including a 70-yard touchdown on a screen pass where he topped out as the second-fastest ball carrier in the NFL last year. According to The Athletic's Paul Dehner Jr., the Bengals want to expand his role, hence the addition of Moss as a more affordable option with more burst to complement Brown.
Brown has been drafted as a mid-tier RB3 in early best balls this year. Moss' arrival shouldn't change that.
In Indianapolis, a healthy Taylor was already likely to dominate the workload, but Moss' departure further ensures that.
Stock Watch
Risers
Fallers
Overview
The Cincinnati Bengals are making a big move at running back. Longtime starter Joe Mixon was released and will be replaced by former Indianapolis Colts running back Zack Moss. With Chase Brown expected to play a more significant role in the backfield, Moss will give the team a cheaper complementary option than Mixon would have. Look for both Moss and Brown to be viewed as RB3 options as we head toward the summer.