Bengals Roster Breakdown: Chris Evans entering last chance territory in Cincinnati's backfield

Throughout the summer leading up to the regular season, we will go through the entire 2024 Cincinnati Bengals roster. Every single day until the season opener against the New England Patriots, we will break down a player on the roster including his background, contract status, and path towards making the team.Today, we take some time […]

John Sheeran — Cincinnati Bengals News Writer
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Chris Evans
© Kareem Elgazzar-USA TODAY Sports

Throughout the summer leading up to the regular season, we will go through the entire 2024 Cincinnati Bengals roster. Every single day until the season opener against the New England Patriots, we will break down a player on the roster including his background, contract status, and path towards making the team.

Today, we take some time to talk about running back Chris Evans. Once hyped up as the Bengals' change of pace back of the future, Evans has found himself at the bottom of the depth chart for the past two years. These could be the last days Evans spends in Cincinnati, or the start of an unexpected comeback journey for the idolized Hollywood actor fourth-year tailback.

Chris Evans

  • Age: 26
  • Year: 4th
  • Position: Running back
  • College: Michigan
  • Previous Teams: None
  • Jersey Number: 25

Evans was drafted by the Bengals with the 202nd overall pick in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. He played four years in college at Michigan and was there for five years in total. He was the second-leading rusher in 2016 as a true freshman with 614 yards and four touchdowns on just 88 carries, but his best season came in 2017 when he posted 685 yards and six touchdowns on 135 carries—all being career highs. He earned an All-Big Ten honorable mention.

Following a drop in usage and production in 2018, Evans didn't play during the 2019 season as he was suspended for the entire season due to what's been deemed an "academic mistake." He was out of school for the year, but he stayed in Ann Arbor and worked three separate jobs, including spending the football season as a special teams coordinator for Huron High School. Evans returned to the team in 2020 but only carried the ball 16 times for 73 yards and a touchdown. 

Evans sparked plenty of promise as a rookie for Cincinnati in 2021, scoring his first touchdown as a receiver in Week 6 by tracking a downfield target from Joe Burrow into the end zone. He ended up with nearly twice as many receiving yards (151) as he had rushing yards (77) by season's end. The end of the season was when Evans first emerged as the team's kickoff returner. He ended up with an average of 24.5 yards per return in five games, including all four playoff appearances. 

Things just haven't been the same for Evans since his rookie campaign. He failed to keep his spot as kickoff returner during the 2022 season, losing out to Trayveon Williams, and wasn't earning any trust to rush the ball on offense. Those themes continued in 2023 as he was a non-factor outside of kickoff and punt teams. Williams had surpassed him on the depth chart, and Chase Brown did the same as a rookie last season. Evans has taken a total of 42 offensive snaps since his rookie season when he was on the field for 107 snaps. That really tells the whole story of his career trajectory. 

Contract details

Evans is in the final year of his four-year, $3,652,888 rookie contract. He will earn a base salary of $1,055,000 for the 2024 season.

When adding on the $172,888 signing bonus that's been prorated throughout the entirety of his deal, Evans' cap hit for the season will be $1,098,222.

Roster chances

Despite his inability to earn offensive snaps, Evans has made the roster the last two years without much debate. Recent precedent suggests that Cincinnati keeps four running backs even though the offense is built around the pass game with Burrow. This coaching staff has never shied away from having depth in the backfield, which has helped Evans keep a roster spot. 

On the flip side, can the Bengals justify potentially five tight ends and four running backs? That's a lot of non-wide receivers and offensive linemen to keep. Even four and four brings out a large total. In the haze of roster gymnastics, Evans and his very expendable salary may find himself left behind. 

But while he's no longer the kickoff returner, the new-look format may play a role in keeping Evans around. We've yet to see in a real game setting how the Bengals will attack the return game. Williams is the presumed top option, which means he'll be counted on more often every week. That could increase the need for depth behind him, which does help Evans if he can beat out rookie UDFAs Noah Cain and Elijah Collins.

When identifying true roster bubble players for the Bengals, Evans stands out in every possible way.

Chances of making the roster: 50%

Previous player breakdowns

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