Rumored to be on the trade block, Khalil Herbert will be on the move on deadline day. The Bears are trading the veteran running back to the Bengals, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero.
The Bengals, who lost Zack Moss to a neck injury that caused him to miss Week 9, will send the Bears a 2025 seventh-rounder, Pelissero adds. This is a rental move, as Herbert is in a contact year, but it is certainly notable for a Bengals team not known for in-season moves. Moss’ injury prompted the Bengals to call around on RBs over the past week, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler tweets. Moss is expected to miss the rest of the regular season, Pelissero and NFL.com colleague Mike Garafolo report.
[RELATED: Bears Open To Trading G Nate Davis]
This marks only the second time in 52 years the Bengals have acquired a player in-season. They did so in the Carlos Dunlap trade four years ago, adding O-lineman B.J. Finney. But Mike Brown‘s franchise is deviating from its M.O. to help a team that entered the season with high expectations.
Herbert had fallen out of Chicago’s RB rotation, playing behind free agent signing D’Andre Swift and 2023 draftee Roschon Johnson. Although the Bears do not profile as a true seller due to their 4-4 record, they will give Herbert an opportunity to finalize his free agency case. Herbert had operated as a key Bears back from 2021-23, but he was drafted by prior GM Ryan Pace. Ryan Poles will pick up an asset for a player no longer in the team’s plans.
Rumors about Herbert’s availability came up recently, as the former Kansas and Virginia Tech cog’s Bears role had diminished. Although Herbert heads to Cincinnati after having logged just eight carries for 16 yards this season, the former sixth-round pick played much bigger roles for high-end Bears rushing attacks previously. Herbert helped Chicago’s then-Justin Fields-centered ground game lead the NFL in 2022. He averaged 5.7 yards per carry in 2022, totaling a career-high 731 rushing yards that season. Last year, Herbert gained 611 on the ground, averaging 4.6 per tote.
The Bengals are 4-5 and have a difficult Week 10 assignment — a Thursday Ravens matchup in Baltimore — but they are not believed to be done adding at today’s deadline. Cincinnati continues to push for defensive help, per The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. The Bengals have regressed significantly on defense, ranking 25th to effectively remove Joe Burrow‘s margin for error on the other side of the ball. With the Burrow-Ja’Marr Chase–Tee Higgins troika perhaps in its final act together, it is understandable Cincy — its reputation for deadline inactivity notwithstanding — intends to explore more trades today.
Herbert will join Burrow and Co., being set to team with second-year RB Chase Brown. Both players came into the NFL with speed-based profiles. Herbert, 26, has a chance to assemble a free agency case with his second NFL team. Brown is signed through 2026, while Moss is attached to the Bengals through 2025. Though, Moss’ two-year, $8MM deal does not feature any 2025 guarantees. The Bears have Swift signed through 2027, and Johnson’s rookie contract goes through 2026.
Good deal for the Bengals. When he was given carried he produced for the Bears. It’s a shame he got screwed with the Swift signing but he’s still a solid RB2 in this league.
Bears are saying he didn’t fit in their offense. They’re right. Herbert is good, Bears offense?
They should have incorporated him at some capacity. All offseason they spoke about the variety of the skillset talent around Caleb, so far Kmet and Moore have regressed, Herbert wasn’t given a shot and they’re too busy trying to give targets to Gerald Everett for some ungodly reason.
Another sensible low cost pickup. I’m surprised Dallas never met that price. Their season is toast now, but Herbert could have helped.
I agree, but Hollywood Cowboys want just to be in the headlines for the glitz and glamour rather than actual be in the business of winning football games!
You do realize that winning football games puts them in the headlines, right?
Which they have not done very well this year. They care more about what the media thinks of their team then the product on the field.
“All in my a**” as Skip Bayless famously said this past offseason.
Cowboys are so poorly run it’s hilarious. No common sense to address a running back issue. No calls for Herbert or even miles sanders. Anybody lmao
Right??? Like you would think a team that needs a running identity would surely go get themselves a RB.
LMAO
Jerry is such a tool but he’s touched money I’ll never see in my life.
Wow please do defense now
Bengals get an exceptional runner who pairs well with Chase Brown.
Bears mishandled Herbert all year and could realistically have two additional wins had he been used more vs Houston, Indianapolis & Washington. Took up a roster spot for a 7th rounder, who will most likely not make next year’s 53-man. Poles deserves criticism for his roster management and failure to address their failed offensive strategy.
I agree with you. That 7th rounder will likely be a practice squad player. Poles really thought he was getting a 4 or a 5 from Dallas or another team. Same type of stubbornness he showed for Fields in the off-season.
In all fairness, Herbert was a 6th round pick himself and is a rental. A 7th isn’t too bad. I did expect a bit better but it’s not crazy. We don’t know what type of offers were out there or what those conversations were about
If Poles can trade Nate Davis he will have atoned for signing the slug in the first place. Further proof that Poles is better at drafting than signing FA’s. So keep your draft picks this year Ryan!
From RB3 to RB2. I’ll keep him stashed on my dynasty bench in case he does end up in Dallas next season ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Smart move for both teams. Herbert can help brown with load share and is a solid runner
I don’t think it was smart for the Bears. He was their insurance against Swift or Johnson being injured. The way that team is dropping like flies, it’s only a matter of time til one goes down. And a 7th rounder?
It’s solid business. Herbert was a day three guy anyway and bears also have Homer for emergency.
Homer isn’t near the RB Herbert is and is primarily a special teamer. Big step down in skill as a runner.
Lmao they’ll be fine.
7th rounders are basically UDFA’s that you don’t have to chase after the draft is over. Anything is better than nothing.
Giving up a RB with a 4.8 career rushing average who only fumbles once every 208 touches for a 7th round pick is what Ryan Pace would do.
This is another case of Poles doing a player a solid, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. They are committed to Swift and seeing what they have in Johnson. Herbert was gone after the season anyways, so a 7th round crap shoot isn’t horrible. I am sure he would have taken a 5th or 6th if it was offered.
Yeah, keep racking up those coveted 7th round picks, Poles. That way you can get more mediocre or average O linemen and special teams players…. Its not like Waldron knew how to use him anyway, unless your name is ‘Homer’ or ‘Everett’ apparently you do not get the play time. Heck even when Swift and Johnson looked like they were getting yards in the Arizona game the running plays seemed to have disappeared.
I though Poles was supposed to be the guy to ‘do it right’ instead we have another team that will miss its window cause it was constructed incorrectly. The Bears had an opportunity to really build the O and D Lines, which makes the rest of the offense and Defense look better. But no, get all of the shiny objects, hothead/taunters, and ‘cant miss’ kids… yeah that has worked so far. So really aside from maybe two guys on the O line (Williams and Jenkins) and 1 (Sweat..ok, MAYBE Dexter) on the D there is no O or D line, and lines can take years to develop, by then Williams will either be dead from this line letting guys come free, or busts out because he gets beat around like Fields did for the season, if not another one like this, OR he gets a new coach (which probably should happen considering the team played like it gave up on the coaching staff after being called out for talking to the media the week before) and we have seen what that does to QBs in Chicago as well. What a clown show. I guess nothing changes for Chicago sports teams.
Rookie GMs come in thinking they can do a complete tear down in three years without investing (heavily) in building both lines and having an established offensive system/staff in place. That’s not how to build a consistent NFL winner. There is rarely a shortcut.
KC, DET, BAL, & SF became powerhouses by first building lines with multiple AllPros, then adding the QB from all kinds of places different than #1 overall. CLE & TB attempted the same but failed, minus one year of Brady.
Bears had a chance to trade down from 1, build a war chest of firsts & seconds & run back Fields once again. Poles failed the marshmallow test!