Canadian running back Chase Brown had the best game of his rookie year so far in the NFL. The 23-year-old had nine carries for 61 yards in Cincinnati’s Monday Night Football 34-31 overtime win at Jacksonville on ESPN.
“Chase Brown came in and provided some spark on some explosive runs,” quarterback Jake Browning said.
It’s clear Brown has been increasingly earning trust from head coach Zac Taylor. Through the first 12 weeks of the season, No. 30 was active for four games recording two carries for six yards and three receptions for seven yards. He was selected in the fifth round, 163rd overall during the 2023 NFL Draft.
The five-foot-nine, 209-pound ball carrier led his position group with a 40-inch vertical and 10-foot, seven-inch broad jump at the NFL Combine. He clocked a fast 40-yard dash at 4.43 seconds with a 1.53-second ten-yard split while putting up 25 reps on the bench press — leading all running backs.
The London, ON native produced a sensational 2022 NCAA season for the University of Illinois. He carried the ball 328 times for 1,643 yards (five yards per carry) and 10 touchdowns on the ground while adding 27 receptions for 240 yards and three more scores. Brown was a consensus second-team All-American, finishing fourth in the nation in rushing yards while being named a finalist for the Doak Walker Award as the top running back in the country.
After transferring to Illinois from Western Michigan University as a sophomore, Brown finished his NCAA career with 3,558 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns on 676 carries (5.3 yards per carry) over 47 games. He attended the Senior Bowl all-star game.
Chase is the identical twin brother of defensive back Sydney Brown, who was selected in the third round during the 2023 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. The pair battled homelessness and hardship on their way to a pro football career, moving to Florida in high school in the hopes of landing an NCAA Division I scholarship.
Expect Brown to earn more playing time as the Bengals (6-6) try to make it into the NFL playoffs. Cincy are to make the postseason as an AFC Wildcard. The Colts travel in for a key matchup on Sunday.
