Bengals Coach Talks Chase Brown Injury and Confidence in Contingency Plan With Khalil Herbert

Jay Morrison | Dec 30, 2024

Dec 28, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals running back Khalil Herbert (34) runs with the ball against the Denver Broncos in overtime at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images / Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

CINCINNATI – When Khalil Herbert arrived in Cincinnati after the Bengals acquired him in a trade with the Chicago Bears, quarterback Joe Burrow said he wouldn’t be worried about the running back jumping into action after just two days with the playbook.

“He is right there next to me, so I can tell him what to do when he is out there,” Burrow said the day after Herbert arrived.

Herbert fumbled on his first snap as a Bengal and saw the field on only one other play in Cincinnati’s 35-34 Thursday night loss at Baltimore in Week 10.

Eight weeks later, Herbert is up to speed with the playbook, and he could be lead back Saturday night in Pittsburgh if Chase Brown isn’t able to play through the ankle injury he suffered late in the overtime win against Denver.

Five days before kickoff, Brown’s availability is still in doubt.

“Chase Brown is a special player, and I think he's got a bright, bright future in this league as one of the top backs, really in anything you ask him to do,” offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher said. “And so, obviously, we're hopeful that we're going to have him. And I know he's going to work really hard to be able to be out there for us.”

But if Brown is unable to play, the Bengals have confidence in Herbert, especially after the way he played in overtime against the Broncos after the Brown injury.

Herbert had four carries for 23 yards, including a 13-yarder to kickstart the game winning drive.

“Khalil’s a pro,” Pitcher said. “He’s played a lot of NFL football. He’s been productive. We really like the way he prepares during the week. He’s diligent. We brought him here for a reason.

“We heard really good things about him,” Pitcher continued. “We were able to evaluate the player on the tape and we liked the player. And then we heard a lot of really good things about the person. The ability for us to add him was big.”

A sixth-round pick of the Bears in 2021, Herbert averaged 4.9 yards per carry on 364 attempts his first three seasons. He also caught 43 passes for 294 yards.

Herbert had five 100-yard games and nine contests with at least 18 carries, so he’s capable of handling a starter’s share.

His production didn’t diminish. Just his usage did as the new front office signed D’Andre Swift in free agency, making Herbert expendable, and the Bengals pounced.

Herbert’s lack of playing time in Cincinnati hasn’t had anything to do with a lack of trust and everything to do with how well Brown has performed.

“Chase played himself into a role where we really didn’t want to take him off the field, and we were able to spell him in ways with different guys that we felt like we didn’t necessarily need as much of that,” Pitcher said. “But Khalil has waited in the wings. And he’s prepared. And so now, there’s a chance he could play a little bit of a bigger role and we’re comfortable with that. We look forward to what Khalil can bring for us.”

The Steelers rank seventh in rushing defense, allowing an average of 100.6 yards per game.

They rank sixth in yards allowed per carry at 4.12.

So not having Brown would be a big blow.

If he plays, he will only need 10 yards to hit 1,000 for the season. Only three players in Cincinnati history have hit 1,000 yards in their first or second season in the league – Ickey Woods (first season, 1988, 1,066 yards), Corey Dillon (first season, 1997, 1,129 yards) and Jeremy Hill (first season, 2014, 1,124 yards), Dillon (second season, 1998, 1,130 yards) and Joe Mixon (second season, 2018, 1,168 yards).

But Herbert’s experience is a plus, and his fresh legs could be an even bigger asset. Herbert only has 16 carries this season.

Pitcher said the game plan won’t change regardless of which back starts the game.

“I don't envision there being any restrictions as to what we can do offensively,” Pitcher said. “If we find ourselves in a spot where we don't have (Brown), obviously, that's a difference-making player that we wouldn't have. So that does affect your mindset. But in terms of what we can game plan, what we can call, I don't envision there being much restrictions there."

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