SAMAJE PERINE NEWS

No offensive snaps in Week 18 Perine did not play a single offensive snap in Sunday's 21-16 loss to the Browns.

Impact Perine was reported to be the Bengals' starting running back in Week 18 with Joe Mixon on the reserve/COVID-19 list, but this never came to fruition. Instead, Perine failed to log an offensive snap while playing 16 snaps on special teams. Fellow running backs Chris Evans and Trayveon Williams carried the load for Cincinnati in the season finale. Perine finished the season with 55 rushes for 246 yards and one touchdown, adding 27 catches for 196 yards and a score. The 26-year-old is under contract through the 2022 season and will become a free agent in the following year. Though he likely won't find himself as a starter barring injury, he has proven to be a more than capable backup when called upon. With a wild-card playoff matchup against the Raiders upcoming, Perine will likely serve as the team's top backup with Mixon healthy.

JANUARY 12, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Likely starting Week 18 Perine likely will work as Cincinnati's lead back Sunday against the Browns, after teammate Joe Mixon tested positive for COVID-19, Chase Goodbread of NFL.com reports.

Impact It'll presumably be Mixon's first absence of the season, with the Bengals unlikely to rush him back even if he's able to quickly clear COVID-19 protocols. QB Joe Burrow said he'll be rested for the playoffs, so it's a good bet other key Bengals will be held out or limited this Sunday. Still, it's an excellent opportunity for Perine, who has 55 carries for 246 yards (4.5 YPC) and a touchdown this season, plus 27 catches for 196 yards on 31 targets. He's seen a lot of his playing time on third downs with Mixon enjoying a relatively healthy season, but the 240-pounder is far from a passing-down specialist. Cincinnati's other RB options sans Mixon would be rookie Chris Evans and Trayveon Williams.

JANUARY 5, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

One catch, one carry Perine had one catch for 10 yards and one carry for four yards in Sunday's win over the Chiefs.

Impact Perine was on the field for 20 offensive snaps, but wasn't used all that frequently. It'll be interesting to see if the Bengals try to preserve Joe Mixon next week at Cleveland, given that they've clinched the division.

JANUARY 4, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Barely plays Perine saw just 11 snaps in Sunday's win over the Ravens, netting zero carries and two catches for six yards.

Impact The Bengals essentially eschewed the running game in this one, given how successful Joe Burrow was in the passing game against the Ravens' skeleton crew secondary. Moreover, Joe Mixon's ankle proved to be just fine, so there was little need for Perine to spell him.

DECEMBER 28, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Watching Mixon's status Perine would be next in line to start for the Bengals at running back if Joe Mixon (ankle) can't go. Perine had four carries for 30 yards and two catches for 13 yards in the Week 1...

Impact Mixon twice came off the field due to the ankle injury last Sunday, but was on for the last snap, which was a kneel-down. The Bengals said that they'd limit his workload in practice to start the week. So it's possible still that Perine could start this week.

DECEMBER 21, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Fantasy Waiver Wire: FAAB Report for Week 16 pickups, free agents RBs Ronald Jones, Justin Jackson, and Samaje Perine will be popular adds, but WRs like Marquez Valdes-Scantling will also be among Week 16's...

DECEMBER 21, 2021 • SPORTINGNEWS.COM

Joe Mixon Injury Update Could Boost Samaje Perine Fantasy Outlook in Week 16 The Cincinnati Bengals got back on track with a win over the Denver Broncos in Week 15, but now all eyes turn toward the status of Joe Mixon...

DECEMBER 20, 2021 • FANDUEL.COM

Heavily involved in passing game Perine carried four times for 11 yards and caught four of five targets for 22 yards during Sunday's 26-23 overtime loss to the 49ers.

Impact Perine was the primary backup behind Joe Mixon once again, but that label offers little fantasy potential, as Mixon is a true bell cow back for the Bengals. The fifth-year pro's involvement in the passing game continues to be a bright spot, but he likely only offers fantasy value as a handcuff to Mixon.

DECEMBER 14, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Future waiver wire: Baker Mayfield, Samaje Perine and more early playoff targets for Week 15 David Gonos gazes into his crystal ball and points out the players, like Samaje Perine, who may be coveted pickups ahead of Week 15.

DECEMBER 10, 2021 • THEATHLETIC.COM

Minimal workload in loss Perine carried five times for 36 yards and caught both of his targets for five yards in Sunday's 41-22 loss to the Chargers.

Impact With Joe Mixon operating as a true bell cow back for the Bengals, little work was left over for Perine. Though he offers little fantasy value in his present role, Perine makes sense as a handcuff for Mixon's fantasy managers in the event the latter misses time over the final five weeks of the regular season.

DECEMBER 8, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Tiny workload Perine had just three carries and one catch on 10 snaps despite the Bengals benching their offensive starters for most of the fourth quarter in their blowout win over the Steelers.

Impact Teammate Joe Mixon is a full-on bell-cow back right now, so Perine's opportunities to produce are extremely limited.

NOVEMBER 30, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Nine offensive snaps Perine was limited to nine offensive snaps in the Week 11 win over the Raiders. He had two carries for three yards along with three catches for 18 yards.

Impact Joe Mixon is fully healthy again and is back to being the Bengals' bell-cow running back. Thus, Perine has been relegated to traditional backup duties, even when the Bengals were ahead most of the game.

NOVEMBER 23, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Resurfaces in running attack Perine carried five times for 20 yards and caught two of three targets for 17 yards Sunday in the Bengals' 41-16 loss to the Browns.

Impact After Joe Mixon handled all the running-back carries in the Week 8 loss to the Jets, Perine re-entered the picture Week 9, though three of his totes came with fewer than five minutes remaining while the Browns sat on a 25-point lead. With that in mind, Perine's usage on the ground looks like it could take a hit or disappear entirely in more competitive contests, though the 26-year-old may still have an edge on Mixon for work on obvious passing downs. Perine was on the field for 11 of the Bengals' 13 third-down snaps against Cleveland, after playing eight of 10 in Week 8.

NOVEMBER 10, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Minimal usage in loss Perine played only 14 offensive snaps in the Week 8 loss to the Jets without netting a carry, but did catch two passes for 16 yards.

Impact This was a bit of a surprise, given Perine's usage the previous week against the Ravens, plus the absence of Chris Evans. It's a sign that the Bengals believe Joe Mixon's ankle is fully healed, as this was the level that Perine was playing at prior to the injury.

NOVEMBER 2, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Could split time with Mixon Perine is expected to split snaps and touches out of the backfield with starter Joe Mixon is Sunday's game against the Jets, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Impact After a one-game absence following a positive COVID-19 test, Perine impressed in the Week 7 upset of Baltimore while playing 48 percent of the offensive snaps. The Oklahoma product carried 11 times for 52 yards and a touchdown while turning his lone target into a 23-yard reception, potentially earning himself another sizable share of work behind Mixon in Week 8. Though the Bengals' 24-point margin of victory against the Ravens likely had a hand in Perine seeing extra reps, a similar game script could play out Sunday against the 1-6 Jets, as Cincinnati enters the matchup as one of the weekend's biggest favorites. Perine's case for seeing continued involvement is aided by the fact that his top challenger for the backup role, Chris Evans (hamstring), is inactive.

OCTOBER 31, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Bengals off to best start in 6 years after rout of Ravens

Cincinnati's 41-17 blowout of the Baltimore Ravens makes it hard to argue that these aren’t the same old Bengals

OCTOBER 25, 2021 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Scores long TD late Perine rushed 11 times for 52 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 41-17 win over the Ravens.

Impact Perine turned in his best performance of the season in this one, but his final stat line may be deceiving. The veteran back received a huge uptick in touches -- 11 to starter Joe Mixon's 12 -- due to the blowout nature of the contest in the fourth quarter. Not to take anything away from his production, but the majority of his positive gains came on a 46-yard touchdown scamper late in the final period. The big play may earn Perine a few more looks next week against the Jets, but fantasy managers should not overreact to what might end up being an anomalous outing for the backup.

OCTOBER 24, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Week 7 role unclear Cincinnati head coach Zac Taylor confirmed Perine will be available for Sunday's game against the Ravens, but the running back won't have a set role for the Week 7 matchup, Geoff H...

Impact After a week-long stint on the reserve/COVID-19 list, Perine returned to practice Thursday and looks to be back to full speed. Though Perine had served as the clear No. 2 back behind starter Joe Mixon through the first five games, his absence in the Week 6 win over the Lions allowed rookie Chris Evans to see his largest role to date. Evans was efficient with his 16 snaps (four carries for 18 yards, three receptions for 49 yards and a touchdown), and his strong showing may have allowed him to leapfrog Perine in the pecking order. Taylor noted that Evans and Perine are both capable pass catchers, runners and blockers, so no particular game script would seem to suit one better than the other.

OCTOBER 22, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Returns from COVID list The Bengals reinstated Perine (illness) from the reserve/COVID-19 list Thursday.

Impact Perine had resided on the list since Oct. 11 after testing positive for the virus. Now that he's completed a quarantine and has cleared all health and safety protocols, Perine should be ready to go for Sunday's game against the Ravens. Chris Evans served as the top backup to Joe Mixon in last week's win over Detroit, but Perine could reclaim the No. 2 role Week 7, especially after Evans was limited in practice Wednesday with a hamstring injury.

OCTOBER 21, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Not playing Sunday Perine was not activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list and thus will not be eligible to play Sunday against the Lions.

Impact Perine needed to be activated off the reserve/COVID-19 list Saturday in order to have a shot at playing. Instead the team opted to elevate Trayveon Williams from the practice squad with the intention of him acting as Joe Mixon's (ankle) primary backup. Perine saw a season-high 11 carries in the Week 5 loss to the Packers, but that workload was largely due to Mixon's ankle sprain and is not expected to translate to Williams with Mixon on the mend.

OCTOBER 16, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Tests positive for virus Perine's placement on the reserve/COVID-19 list earlier Monday was the result of a positive test, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Impact Since Perine was deactivated as a result of a positive test rather than through contact-tracing reasons, he may not clear the NFL's COVID-19 protocol ahead of the Bengals' next game Sunday in Detroit. The development is a less-than-ideal one for the Bengals, given that top back Joe Mixon was able to handle only a limited role in the Week 5 loss to the Packers while managing an ankle injury. While Mixon's workload was restricted, Perine picked up a season-high 11 carries and gained 59 yards. He also drew five targets, hauling in four of them for 24 yards and a score. With Perine sidelined and Mixon banged up, rookie Chris Evans is the only healthy back on the roster, so expect Cincinnati to add another body at the position ahead of the matchup with the Lions.

OCTOBER 11, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Burrow is OK, Bengals move on after OT loss to Packers

Joe Burrow is going to be OK after taking a hit to the throat

OCTOBER 11, 2021 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Placed on COVID-19 list Perine was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list Monday.

Impact Perine racked up 73 yards from scrimmage and reached the end zone in Sunday's overtime loss to the Packers, but he'll have to spend some time away from the team after being placed on the COVID-19 list. It's not yet clear whether he's tested positive for the virus or whether he's considered a close contact, and the Bengals haven't revealed when the 26-year-old will be able to return.

OCTOBER 11, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Good in expanded role Perine rushed 11 times for 59 yards and caught four of five targets for 24 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 25-22 overtime loss to the Packers.

Impact Perine opened the scoring with a four-yard touchdown reception and proceeded to lead Cincinnati's backfield despite starter Joe Mixon playing through an ankle injury. Whereas Mixon managed 35 scrimmage yards and a score from his 11 touches, Perine comfortably set season highs across the board, taking advantage of his newfound opportunity. Although it's possible Mixon gets closer to full health to command a larger workload in Week 6 versus the winless Lions, Perine's performance Sunday could garner him more chances to show his stuff from his second-string role.

OCTOBER 10, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Mixon back in the mix Perine will potentially have to share the backfield with Joe Mixon (ankle) on Sunday against the Packers, as Mixon is active for the contest.

Impact Perine was at one point thought to have a larger role in Week 5, as Mixon suffered an ankle injury last week against Jacksonville and didn't log a single practice as a result. That ultimately won't prevent Mixon from taking the field, but Ian Rapoport of NFL Network did note early Sunday morning that the team's typical RB1 "won't be at 100 percent." Perine has yet to see more than 24 percent of the snap share in any single game this season, but that could be headed for an increase Sunday if there's any truth to Rapoport's assertion.

OCTOBER 10, 2021 • ROTOWIRE