Bengals 2025 Roster Breakdown: Gary Brightwell bringing experience to restored running back roster battle

Brightwell enters his fifth NFL preseason.

John Sheeran — Cincinnati Bengals News Writer
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Cincinnati Bengals running back Gary Brightwell (32) runs through a drill during a preseason training camp practice in downtown Cincinnati on Wednesday, July 30, 2025.
© Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Bengals roster breakdown is back! During the 99 days leading up to Cincinnati’s regular season opener against the Cleveland Browns, the player with the matching jersey number as days remaining will become the day’s highlighted player.

32 days remain until the Bengals’ first game of the 2025 season, taking us to No. 32 Gary Brightwell.

Gary Brightwell

Age: 27
Year: 5th
Position: Running back
College: Arizona
Previous Teams: New York Giants (2021-23), Jacksonville Jaguars (2024), Cleveland Browns (2024),
Jersey Number: 32

Brightwell enters his fifth season in the NFL and second with the Bengals after being drafted 196th overall in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. He spent four years at Arizona, playing 40 games and rushing for 1,305 yards and nine touchdowns. He made New York’s roster as a rookie and played in 13 games, but his most active season was in 2022 when he played in all 17 games and rushed for 141 yards and his first career touchdown. He played seven games in 2023.

The Giants waived Brightwell during the 2024 offseason, leading to a preseason stint with Jacksonville. The Jaguars cut him prior to the regular season and he was picked up by Cleveland. He spent the first half of the season on and off the practice squad before Cincinnati signed him to the practice squad in early November. He would stay on the Bengals for the remainder of the year.

Contract Details

Brightwell signed a one-year, $1.1 million contract with Cincinnati this offseason, representing his potential cash earnings and salary cap hit for the 2025 season.

Roster Outlook

Brightwell will be one of three reserves, along with rookie Quali Conley and Kendall Milton, looking to convince the Bengals that four running backs are necessary to keep on the initial 53-man roster. Milton was also on the practice squad last year, but Brightwell has multiple years of playing experience to his name, which may give him an edge entering the preseason.

It’s more likely for Cincinnati to roll with their top three backs and claim a waived RB as the fourth option than for Brightwell to make the team, but a strong preseason to sway things in the other direction is not outside the realm of possibilities.

Roster odds: 15%
Projected role: Reserve running back

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