Tahj Brooks

Brooks is firmly RB3 behind Chase Brown (who dominates snaps) and Samaje Perine, with no clear path to meaningful touches absent injuries to multiple ahead of him.

The Bengals hosted pre-draft visits with RB prospects Jeremiyah Love (consensus draft RB1), Kaelon Black, and Jayden Ott ahead of the 2026 draft, signaling clear intent to add a new RB. A mid-round selection could leapfrog Brooks entirely and claim the Perine vacancy.

Beyond Perine, the Bengals added UDFA RBs Jamal Haynes and Kentrell Bullock in 2026, adding further competition for the RB3 role and putting Brooks at real cut risk if he cannot distinguish himself in training camp.

Brooks is a sixth-round pick with high collegiate workload (879 career carries), which historically correlates with shorter NFL shelf life. He also suffered a concussion during his rookie 2025 season, adding durability concerns to an already crowded depth chart.

Brooks posted a discouraging 2.8 YPC on 16 carries in his rookie season — well below league average — with no touchdowns and minimal receiving involvement (3% target share). The efficiency profile does not suggest a player who will force his way onto the field.

Chase Brown dealt with an ankle injury late in 2024; if Brown misses time, Brooks would be the primary backup in a high-volume situation rather than Perine-focused committee.

Brooks has been cited as the potential successor to Samaje Perine's third-down back role; if Perine ages out or is injured again, Brooks could inherit consistent snap share in a premier offense.

Chase Brown is in the final year of his rookie deal with active extension talks underway. If talks stall and Brown walks after 2026, Brooks becomes the incumbent RB2 candidate in one of the NFL's premier offensive systems (Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins).

The Bengals did not invest a single draft pick at RB in 2026 — only a TE and WR were selected. Brooks' path to RB2 is not further blocked by incoming rookie competition from the draft.

Brooks sits one Chase Brown injury away from lead-back touches in a Burrow/Chase/Higgins offense that generates elite scoring volume and red-zone work, giving him real contingent upside.