Chase Brown didn’t just win over the Cincinnati Bengals in 2024; he’s forced them to evolve their identity around his talent.
That’s not to take anything away from Joe Burrow’s generational quarterbacking, Ja’Marr Chase’s star power, or Tee Higgins‘ contested-catch magic. On paper, the offense looked complete last season. But what caught the franchise off guard, a fifth-round running back who made the Kettering Health Practice Fields feel like audition stages — and he never missed his cue.
“There are guys that it just becomes how they carry themselves, the look in their eye when you talk to him, how you see him go about their day in the building, that it just becomes apparent very, very early that this guy is obsessive about his preparation,” offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher said, per The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. “There’s something motivating him that’s unusual even at this level of highly, highly motivated people. And I would put him in that bucket.”
Brown’s current NFL status isn’t a fluke. From overlooked Day 3 draft pick to “undeniable” playmaker in the Bengals’ explosive offense, his story began long before Cincinnati — and the organization noticed every step.
Incredible ‘Work Ethic’
Brown’s journey to the NFL wasn’t typical. Born in Ontario, Canada, he and his twin brother, Sydney, bounced between homeless shelters and relatives before making the leap to Florida for high school. From St. Stephen High to Western Michigan, then Illinois, every step reinforced one constant: his obsession with outworking everyone else.
“My whole life I’ve always wanted to play in the NFL,” Brown said. “Growing up in Canada, it seemed like the NFL has always been this impossible dream. I’m just kind of addicted to seeing the results of putting in the work… to prove to my younger self that you can really be that guy.”
That mentality caught the eye of the Bengals early. Pitcher didn’t just notice his effort — he marveled at it.
Officially Pursuing a Bengals Contract Extension in Year 3
Brown’s life off the field is evolving just as fast. He became a father in January, and he’s now extension-eligible after this season.
“In the back of my mind, I’ve thought about it,” Brown said. “But what I’ve done with that this year is I’m — and I’m being completely honest when I say this — I’m trying to just focus on making the plays. If I make the plays, I’ll make myself undeniable for a second contract.”
By Week 9 of the 2024-25 campaign, Brown went from backup to breakout star. From then until Week 17, he ranked fifth in the NFL in yards from scrimmage, notching five consecutive 100-plus-yard games. Pitcher wasn’t shy with praise: “I believe Chase Brown is a top-10 back in this league. We’ve got a guy.”
“It’s hard to compare him with anybody,” running backs coach Justin Hill said. “You are not going to find anybody in the building that works harder than him. There is not a day, work day or off day, that he is not in the building working on something. Whether pass game, run game, he wants to find something to get better at. It’s in his DNA. The sky is the limit for him because of his work ethic.”
Extrapolating Brown’s second-half 2024 numbers over a full season puts him over 1,000 rushing yards and 500 receiving yards — a feat only Christian McCaffrey and Jahmyr Gibbs have reached in recent years.
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