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Ex-Bills RB Released After Taking Pay Cut With New Team

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Zack Moss
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Zack Moss runs the ball against the Miami Dolphins.

A former Buffalo Bills running back is looking for a new NFL home after being released just one year into his contract.

The Cincinnati Bengals announced on July 30 that they released Zack Moss, who had already agreed to a pay cut with the team earlier in the offseason. Moss is coming off an injury that cut short his season and now will need to find a new team to continue his NFL career.

Zack Moss Released Amid Neck Injury

As ESPN’s Ben Baby reported, Moss had been on the non-football injury list after suffering a season-ending neck injury last year. Moss had signed a two-year contract with the Bengals last offseason worth $8 million, but agreed to a restructured deal worth $1.7 million for the upcoming season.

Moss appeared in eight games with six starts last season before going down with injury, racking up 242 rushing yards with two touchdowns and 23 receptions for 187 yards with a receiving touchdown.

Moss started his career with the Bills in 2020 but struggled to establish a spot on the depth chart. He came out strong in his rookie season, rushing for 481 yards and four touchdowns, but suffered an injury at the end of the season and struggled in his sophomore campaign. Moss fell to third on the depth chart when the team drafted James Cook in 2022, and they ended up trading Moss to the Indianapolis Colts midway through the 2022 season.

Moss took well to the new home, rushing for a career-best 794 yards with five touchdowns with the Colts, moving into the No. 1 spot while Jonathan Taylor was out with an injury.

Moss was highly touted at the time he hit free agency last offseason, with Bleacher Report’s David Kenyon predicting he could be a steal for a new team.

“Running backs face a challenging market, so there may be plenty of free-agent steals at the position. In particular, Zack Moss looks like a prime low-cost candidate with the upside of a starter,” Kenyon wrote.

Bills Have Changes Coming in the Backfield

The Bills have some pending changes in their own backfield, with Cook reaching the conclusion of his rookie contract and no movement toward a new deal. Though the team has shared no details, Cook revealed at the start of training camp that there have been some discussions about a new deal.

“We have talks,” Cook told ESPN. “I mean, I deserve what I want, I need, and it’s going to eventually happen.”

The Pro Bowl running back said he loves playing in Buffalo, expressing a desire for a new, long-term deal.

“It’s a great organization, and I mean, they drafted me,” Cook said. “They drafted me for a reason, I feel like, and I’m willing to be here and spend the rest of my career here.”

But Cook also added some uncertainty, hinting that it could ultimately be another team that gives him a new contract once he hits free agency next year.

“I mean, however it happens, it’s going to get done,” Cook said. “Wherever it happens at.”

Nathan Dougherty is a sports reporter covering the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins. Previously he wrote for the Rochester Business Journal and served as the assistant editor of athletic trade magazines Coaching Management, Athletic Management and Training & Conditioning. He is based out of Rochester, New York, and loves everything football. More about Nathan Dougherty

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Ex-Bills RB Released After Taking Pay Cut With New Team

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