Perine, 29, fills a hole that really hadn’t been plugged since his departure after the 2022 season, giving the Bengals a true third-down running back to complement workhorse Chase Brown.
The eight-year NFL veteran had originally arrived in Cincinnati in 2019 when the Bengals claimed him off waivers from Washington, then watched him depart that December when the Miami Dolphins claimed him off the practice squad.
Miami waived Perine in April 2020, and the Bengals picked him back up, leading then to a productive three full years with the organization. He helped Cincinnati to the Super Bowl in 2021 and an AFC Championship in 2022 before departing in free agency the following offseason.
Cincinnati had tried bringing him back at the time, but was surprised when the Denver Broncos scooped him up on a two-year, $7.5 million contract. He never got to the second year, as Denver released him coming out of the 2024 preseason.
The Bengals again pursued Perine at that time, but he signed a one-year deal with the Kansas City Chiefs. He had just 20 carries for 92 yards and one touchdown in 17 regular-season appearances.
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