Who Should I Start? Khalil Herbert or Tahj Brooks

Thursday, August 14, 7:19 PM

Indianapolis Colts running back Khalil Herbert (undisclosed) did not participate in practice on Thursday at training camp for an undisclosed reason, according to The Athletic's James Boyd. Herbert had seven carries for 29 yards and a touchdown in the preseason opener last Thursday against the Baltimore Ravens, but he hasn't practiced with the team since and apparently picked up an injury during that game. The 27-year-old losing valuable practice reps doesn't bode well as he competes for a depth role with rookie DJ Giddens and Tyler Goodson behind starter Jonathan Taylor. Herbert has shown elusiveness in his four-year NFL career, but he's fighting an uphill battle for playing time in Indy after rushing for just 130 yards and one touchdown in 14 games (one start) in 2024 with the Chicago Bears and Cincinnati Bengals.

Friday, August 8, 10:53 AM

Cincinnati Bengals running back Tahj Brooks ran for 26 yards off 10 attempts in Thursday's preseason loss to the Eagles. He added one catch (two targets) for three yards. Chase Brown began the contest with the rest of the starters. While Brooks handled the bulk of the touches, he only averaged 2.6 yards per carry. Despite the subpar showing on Thursday night, the 2025 No. 193 overall pick has looked good throughout training camp and appears to have earned the trust of the coaching staff. However, with Brown expected to get the majority of the snaps out of the backfield in 2025, there could be little room for Brooks to remain consistently involved, even if the rookie manages to secure the No. 2 spot on the depth chart over Samaje Perine. With the Bengals dropping their first game of the preseason, the team will look to get on track versus the Commanders on August 18.