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“Zack Moss of the Bengals goes on IR with a neck injury and is likely out for the season.”

“Zack Moss of the Bengals goes on IR with a neck injury and is likely out for the season.”

CINCINNATI – Bengals running back Zack Moss was placed on injured reserve Tuesday and will likely miss the remainder of the season, coach Zac Taylor said.

Moss missed the team's last game, a 41-24 win over the Las Vegas Raiders, because of a neck injury that was reported late last week. Upon further examination, it was determined that the problem was serious enough to keep him going longer.

“I'm still gathering more information, but it doesn't look like he's coming back,” Taylor said before practice Tuesday night.

Taylor said early indications were that Moss' injury would not mean the end of his career, but further tests would be carried out. It is also unclear when exactly the problem occurred.

“All I know is he wasn’t feeling well toward the end of the week,” Taylor said. “So that’s where it ended up.”

During the offseason, the former Colts running back signed a two-year contract worth $8 million. When Cincinnati acquired Moss, the decision was final to move on from Joe Mixon, who was with the team from 2017 to 2023 and made the Pro Bowl in 2021. Mixon was eventually traded to the Houston Texans.

At the start of the season, Moss and second-year running back Chase Brown shared backfield duties. But in recent weeks, Brown has been the more productive defender. With Moss injured against the Raiders, Brown set career highs in carries (27) and rushing yards (120).

With Moss injured, the Bengals traded running back Khalil Herbert to the Chicago Bears on Tuesday. The move, completed just hours before the 4 p.m. deadline, netted the Bears a 2025 seventh-round draft pick for Herbert, who was buried on Chicago's depth chart and had just eight carries in six games this season.

Herbert arrived in Cincinnati around 2 p.m. on Tuesday and wore his new number, 34, at the team's practice before Thursday's game against the Baltimore Ravens. Taylor didn't rule out the possibility that Herbert could be available for a crucial AFC North away game.

“We’ll see where it goes,” Taylor said. “I wouldn’t take it off the table.”

One of the other storylines surrounding the Bengals was the future of wide receiver Tee Higgins, who plays with the franchise and will be a free agent after this season. Taylor dismissed the notion that Higgins could have been moved before Tuesday's deadline.

“These are conversations you’ve all had,” Taylor said. “Not us.”

Higgins did not practice Tuesday night as he continues to recover from a quadriceps injury. He has missed the last two games and has been out a total of four times this season.

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