The Bengals, who lost Zack Moss
to a neck injury in Week 8, will send the Bears a 2025 seventh-rounder, Pelissero adds. This is a rental move, as Herbert is in a contact year, but it is certainly notable for a Bengals team not known for in-season moves. Moss’ injury prompted the Bengals to call around on RBs over the past week, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler tweets.
Herbert had fallen out of Chicago’s RB rotation, playing behind free agent signing D’Andre Swift and 2023 draftee Roschon Johnson. Although the Bears do not profile as a true seller due to their 4-4 record, they will give Herbert an opportunity to finalize his free-agency case. Herbert had operated as a key Bears back from 2021-23, but he was drafted by prior GM Ryan Pace. Ryan Poles will pick up an asset for a player no longer in the team’s plans.
Rumors about Herbert’s availability came up recently, as the former Kansas and Virginia Tech cog’s Bears role had diminished. Although Herbert heads to Cincinnati after having logged just eight carries for 16 yards this season, the former sixth-round pick played much bigger roles for high-end Bears rushing attacks previously. Herbert helped Chicago’s then-Justin Fields-centered ground game lead the NFL in 2022. He averaged 5.7 yards per carry in 2022, totaling a career-high 731 rushing yards that season. Last year, Herbert gained 611 on the ground, averaging 4.6 per tote.
The Bengals are 4-5 and have a difficult Week 10 assignment — a Thursday Ravens matchup in Baltimore — but they are not believed to be done adding at Tuesday’s deadline. Cincinnati continues to push for defensive help, per The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. The Bengals have regressed significantly on defense, ranking 25th to effectively remove Joe Burrow‘s margin for error on the other side of the ball. With the Burrow-Ja’Marr Chase–Tee Higgins troika perhaps in its final act together, it is understandable Cincy — its reputation for deadline inactivity notwithstanding — intends to explore more trades Tuesday.
Herbert will join Burrow and Co., being set to team with second-year RB Chase Brown. Both players came into the NFL with speed-based profiles. Herbert, 26, has a chance to assemble a free-agency case with his second NFL team. Brown is signed through 2026, while Moss is attached to the Bengals through 2025. Though, Moss’ two-year, $8M deal does not feature any 2025 guarantees. The Bears have Swift signed through 2027, and Johnson’s rookie contract goes through 2026.
