Cincinnati released Moss (neck) on Wednesday.

EDGE Analysis

Moss, who sustained a serious season-ending neck injury in 2024, was present for OTAs but then opened training camp on the active/non-football injury list. The move will open up roster space for Trey Hendrickson, who is expected to report to camp Wednesday, to be reinstated from the reserve/did not report list. Moss's release also makes logistical sense for the Bengals' backfield, which figures to heavily feature Chase Brown while rotating Samaje Perine in for change-of-pace reps, with rookie sixth-round pick Tahj Brooks in the No. 3 role. Moss, for his part, isn't far removed from his breakout 2023 campaign with Indianapolis and should be able to resurface as a contributor elsewhere in the league, as long as he's able to get fully healthy.

Moss (neck), who remains on the active/non-football injury list, has been working on his conditioning on side fields during training camp, Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

The report also notes that Moss, who last saw game action Oct. 27 of last year, subsequently learned at the start of November that his neck was broken in three places (on his C6 vertebrae), which resulted in the running back spending the next two months in a neck brace. Moss didn't need surgery to address the issue, and instead allowed the injury to heal on its own. Though he was cleared from his neck injury in the spring, Dehner notes that conditioning has been a significant issue for the 27-year-old due to a lack of activity following his injury. While Moss remains away from practice, Samaje Perine, Tahj Brooks and Gary Brightwell are in contention for slotting behind top running back Chase Brown.

The Bengals placed Moss (neck) on the active/non-football injury list Tuesday.

EDGE Analysis

Moss was able to take the field during the Bengals' OTAs, but as Ben Baby of ESPN.com notes, the running back is bouncing back from a season-ending neck injury. Once he's ready to resume practice, Moss can be activated from the NFL list, but for now Samaje Perine, Tahj Brooks, Gary Brightwell, Kendall Milton and Quali Conley are available to compete for slotting behind top back Chase Brown.

Moss (neck) participated in the Bengals' opening session of OTAs on Tuesday, Albert Cesare of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports

EDGE Analysis

Moss signed a two-year, $8 million contract with the Bengals last offseason and reworked the deal in April to add guaranteed money for the 2025 campaign, which the contract did not previously include. That positions him to kick off Week 1 as one of the top backups to Chase Brown alongside free-agency signing Samaje Perine, a role that Moss looks increasingly secure in with Cincinnati's only backfield addition in the 2025 NFL Draft having been Tahj Brooks in the sixth round. Moss looked uninspiring across his eight appearances last season, logging 74 carries for 242 yard (3.3 YPC) and two scores before landing on IR with a neck injury. The 27-year-old nonetheless seems the favorite to earn the top reserve role behind Brown, but he will have to show some signs of increased efficiency to insulate his role against pressure from Perine and/or Brooks.

The Bengals and Moss (neck) agreed to terms on a reworked contract Monday, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.

EDGE Analysis

Moss signed a two-year, $8 million deal with Cincinnati last offseason, but it didn't include any guaranteed money beyond 2024. While he kicked off last year as the Bengals' starting running back, he eventually ceded reps to second-year pro Chase Brown (ankle) and then was shut down after Week 8 due to a neck injury. With guaranteed money included in the reworked contract, there's a sense that Moss is making good progress in his recovery, and assuming he's good to go by Week 1 of the upcoming campaign, he and Samaje Perine will be the primary reserve RB options behind Brown.

The Bengals placed Moss (neck) on injured reserve Tuesday.

EDGE Analysis

Moss's move to IR was fully expected after Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reported earlier Tuesday that the running back was expected to be shut down for the next two months to recover from the neck injury that was detected late last week. While Moss will miss the rest of the regular season, he won't need surgery to address the injury and could return at some point in the playoffs, should the Bengals qualify. In anticipation of Moss's absence, the Bengals acquired Khalil Herbert from the Bears on Tuesday to bolster the depth behind Chase Brown, who is expected to take over as Cincinnati's clear lead back the rest of the way.

Moss is expected to miss at least the rest of the regular season due to the neck injury that the Bengals discovered late last week, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.

EDGE Analysis

Moss didn't initially appear on the Bengals' Week 9 injury report until the neck issue resulted in him missing Friday's practice before he was ultimately ruled out in advance of Sunday's 41-24 win over the Raiders. Head coach Zac Taylor then said Monday that Moss is considered out indefinitely, but Garafolo's report provides a more precise timeline for the running back, who will avoid surgery for the neck injury but will rest for the next two months before he's re-evaluated. With Moss out of the mix for the rest of the regular season and perhaps any potential playoff run that might follow, the Bengals acquired Khalil Herbert from the Bears on Tuesday to bolster their backfield depth behind Chase Brown.

Coach Zac Taylor said Monday that Moss (neck) is in line to be sidelined indefinitely, Ben Baby of ESPN.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

With that in mind, Taylor didn't have a specific timeline for the running back's return, noting that the team will "hopefully (have) more information this week." Moss missed the Bengals' Week 9 win over the Raiders, allowing Chase Brown to set career highs across the board with his 27-120-0 rushing line, while adding 5-37-1 on five targets. Trayveon Williams didn't register a single touch or target on offense, paving the way for Brown to be a legitimate every-down workhorse moving forward. Brown's fantasy stock keeps rising by the week, and he looks like a locked-in RB1 regardless of the opponent.

The Bengals downgraded Moss (neck) from doubtful to out for Sunday's game against the Raiders.

EDGE Analysis

Moss will miss his first game of the season after he was a late addition to the Bengals' Week 9 injury report due to the neck issue, which kept him from practicing Friday. His absence for Sunday's contest leaves Chase Brown in line to operate as Cincinnati's clear lead back, while Trayveon Williams and practice-squad call-up Kendall Milton are on hand to provide depth behind Brown. Moss will have limited time to heal up if he hopes to avoid another missed game, as the Bengals will travel to Baltimore for a Thursday night contest in Week 10.

Moss is listed as doubtful for Sunday's game against the Raiders after missing practice Friday due to a neck injury, Kelsey Conway of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

EDGE Analysis

Moss practiced fully both Wednesday and Thursday, but after a DNP on Friday, the running back is trending toward sitting out Sunday's contest. If Moss is inactive versus Las Vegas, Chase Brown would be in line to lead the Bengals' Week 9 backfield, with Trayveon Williams in reserve and Kendall Milton a likely practice-squad elevation.