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After being squeezed out of the Buffalo Bills‘ backfield, Zack Moss may have a new chance to be a lead running back with an AFC contender.
After a strong season with the Indianapolis Colts where he took over for the injured Jonathan Taylor and posted career highs in rushing yards and touchdowns, Moss agreed to terms with the Cincinnati Bengals. The team also parted ways with veteran back Joe Mixon, which could put Moss in line for the starting job to start the 2024 season.
Zack Moss Lands With AFC Contender
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on March 11 that Moss is planning to sign a two-year, $8 million deal with the Bengals. The 26-year-old rushed for 794 yards and five touchdowns last season, adding another 27 catches for 192 yards and two receiving touchdowns.
He started eight games last season, helping establish a strong ground game in Indianapolis and leading the Colts to the edge of a division title before a season finale loss to the Houston Texans knocked them out of the playoffs.
Moss was drafted by the Bills in 2020 and had a strong start to his NFL career, rushing for 481 yards and four touchdowns in his rookie season. But he suffered a broken foot in the playoffs that year and played hurt through much of his second season, enduring a drop in production.
Moss saw his role shrink even more in 2022 with the addition of James Cook to the backfield in Buffalo, rushing just 17 times for 91 yards before being shipped to the Colts in a trade-deadline deal that brought Nyheim Hines to Buffalo.
The Bills allowed fellow running back Devin Singletary to leave in free agency after the conclusion of last season, leaning heavily on Cook in his second year. The move paid off, with Cook becoming the first
Moss’s strong season led to a hot market, with NFL insider Aaron Wilson reporting that several teams were interested in signing him.
“A developing market to watch is #Colts running back Zach Moss with interest from #Texans #Titans #Packers #Browns per league sources. Moss coming off productive season for #Colts,” Wilson wrote on X prior to the start of the legal tampering period on Monday.
The Colts, who still have Taylor under contract and just handed wide receiver Michael Pittman a $70 million contract extension, were expected to be priced out of the market for Moss as he moved to a higher tier of pay for running backs.
Bengals Say Goodbye to Veteran Running Back
Moss could have an opportunity to fill a void in Cincinnati, where the Bengals just released the 27-year-old Mixon. As NFL.com’s Grant Gordon noted, Mixon’s release appeared to be a cost-cutting move.
“Mixon’s release, a move many thought was on the horizon an offseason ago, comes after seven seasons and his fourth 1,000-yard campaign,” Gordon wrote. “A former second-round pick, Mixon helped the Bengals to a Super Bowl LVI berth and went to a Pro Bowl that same 2021 season. The 27-year-old’s departure also frees up $6.1 million in salary cap space for Cincinnati, which used some of that cash on Moss.”
