Injured Bengals veteran may be back sooner than expected pending expert's second opinion
Running back Zack Moss is unlikely to play again this season for the Cincinnati Bengals. The veteran was placed on the Reserve/Injured list this week due to a neck injury he suffered last week. Cincinnati knew Moss would be out for a while, which lead to the club trading for Khalil Herbert in a rare, […]
Running back Zack Moss is unlikely to play again this season for the Cincinnati Bengals. The veteran was placed on the Reserve/Injured list this week due to a neck injury he suffered last week. Cincinnati knew Moss would be out for a while, which lead to the club trading for Khalil Herbert in a rare, progressive move at the trade deadline.
But not all hope has been lost for Moss, who could still avoid season-ending surgery.
Per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, Moss is getting a second opinion on his injury and an operation that would sideline him for the remainder of the year is "not deemed necessary at this point."
"Bengals running back Zack Moss (neck) is getting a second opinion from Dr. Robert Watkins, a renowned spine specialist. A source said that while Moss is unlikely to return to action in 2024, surgery is not deemed necessary at this point." – ESPN's Jeremy Fowler
The Bengals placed Moss on I.R., but they have several activations they can use for the season. Former Punter Brad Robbins and edge defender Myles Murphy were immediately designated to return during final cuts, and defensive tackle McKinnley Jackson returned as well. Clubs can activate up to eight players from I.R. per season, and that number jumps to 10 for playoff teams.
There's only nine weeks remaining for the season and the Bengals' I.R. list is full of players who will be out for the year. There's room for Moss to be brought back if the second opinion he receives is a positive one.
It's still a mystery as to how Moss injured his neck in the first place. Head coach Zac Taylor said that it popped up between last Thursday and Friday and didn't have much to add on the subject this week.
"Still gathering more information but it doesn't look like he'll back," Taylor said Tuesday.
Moss began the season as the offense's feature running back, and his role started shifting closer to the median as Chase Brown's playing time increased over the last several weeks. Moss posted 242 yards and two touchdowns on 74 attempts for an average of just 3.3 yards per attempt. His abilities as pass protector and receiver out of the backfield became more important as his efficiency running the ball dropped after the first three weeks when he was averaging 4.1 yards per attempt.
In all likelihood, we've seen the last of Moss in 2024, but there's at least a chance he can work his way back before the year ends.
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