Canadian running back Chase Brown has been officially ruled out for the Cincinnati Bengals’ regular-season finale against the Pittsburgh Steelers, costing him a shot at a handful of major statistical milestones.
The native of London, Ont. was a game-time decision after suffering a sprained ankle late in last week’s overtime win over the Denver Broncos. After testing out his mobility in warmups, it was determined he would be unable to go for the pivotal matchup with the Steelers.
The five-foot-nine, 209-pound back was just 10 yards shy of becoming the third Canadian player in history to rush for 1,000 on the ground in an NFL season — a feat accomplished by only Rueben Mayes (1986) and Chuba Hubbard (2024). He needed 100 more yards from scrimmage to pass Mayes’ all-time Canadian record of 1,449 set in 1986.
The Bengals’ star back was also one touchdown short of setting a new single-season Canadian NFL record. With 11 combined majors this year, he sits in a tie for the top spot with receivers Nate Burleson (2007) and Chase Claypool (2021). Fellow running back Hubbard also matched the record of 11 TDs this year but did not get the chance to surpass it after being placed on injured reserve.
In 16 games this year, Brown has carried the ball 239 times for 990 yards and seven touchdowns while adding 54 receptions for 360 yards and four scores. With 1,350 combined yards from scrimmage, he is one of just four Canadians to go over 1,000 yards from scrimmage in a season, with the others being Burleson, Hubbard and Mayes.
Brown was selected by the Bengals in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft after an outstanding collegiate career at the University of Illinois which saw him win the Jon Cornish Trophy in 2022 as the top Canadian in the NCAA. He rushed 44 times for 179 yards as a rookie last season, adding 14 catches for 156 yards and one touchdown. His identical twin brother, Sydney, plays safety for the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Bengals (8-8) need a victory over the Steelers (10-6) to stay alive in the playoff race. Both the Denver Broncos and Miami Dolphins have to lose their final game on Sunday for Cincinnati to claim the final postseason berth in the AFC.
