Bengals coach says running back Zack Moss (neck) out indefinitely

CINCINNATI — Bengals running back Zack Moss will be out indefinitely with a neck injury, coach Zac Taylor said Monday.

Moss did not play in the team’s 41-24 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday after the issue arose a couple of days earlier. Taylor said the team became aware Thursday night of a possible neck injury that forced Moss to miss the team’s final practice ahead of the weekend’s game against the Raiders.

Taylor had no timetable for his return.

“Hopefully there will be more information this week,” Taylor said.

Last offseason, Moss signed a two-year contract worth $8 million. Once the move was underway, the Bengals made the decision to part ways with starting running back Joe Mixon, who was eventually traded to the Houston Texans.

Moss has split backfield duties with second-year player Chase Brown. In eight games with the Bengals, Moss has 74 carries for 242 yards and two touchdowns. He also has 23 receptions for 187 receiving yards and a touchdown.

With Moss out, Brown received the bulk of the carries against the Raiders. The 2023 fifth-round pick out of Illinois set career highs in carries (27) and rushing yards (120) and totaled 157 yards from scrimmage and a receiving touchdown in the win.

Bengals offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher said Brown has shown playmaking ability in his extended usage this season and has previously shown the ability to be a high-volume running back during his time with the Illini. After lamenting an ineffective running game in previous weeks, Pitcher praised Brown’s performance against Las Vegas.

“I thought Chase made the most of those opportunities by getting yards after contact,” Pitcher told reporters Monday. “So when you have a guy that plays that well, you want to give him the ball.”

Brown suffered a bruised rib in the win over the Raiders, Taylor said. However, the injury should not have a significant impact on his status heading into Thursday’s game against the Baltimore Ravens. Aside from Brown, the Bengals have two healthy running backs on the roster: veteran Trayveon Williams and rookie Kendall Milton, who was signed to the active roster from the practice squad before the game against the Raiders.

When asked if the team is considering adding a running back, Taylor said the team has to “be open to anything.”

“[We’re] go through the process of seeing what’s available, seeing where we can help each other in all areas, and we’ll go from there,” Taylor said.

In other injury news, Cincinnati lost tight end Erick All Jr. for the season with a torn ACL in his right knee. It’s the same injury he suffered last October that ended his college career at Iowa. All played in the first nine games of the regular season and had been a key contributor to Cincinnati’s offense. The all-purpose tight end had 20 receptions for 158 yards and had also been an integral part of the team’s running game.

“People see the role he’s playing for us,” Taylor said. “He has a lot of responsibilities in our system. It hurts.”