Bengals release RB Samaje Perine, per report

The second of the Bengals’ two waiver claims from the beginning of the season have now been cut from the team.

The Bengals have released running back Samaje Perine, first reported by Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.

Perine was originally claimed by Cincinnati from Washington right before Week 1 when their roster featured only two healthy running backs. With rookie Trayveon Williams dealing with a foot injury to start the season, Perine was active as the offenses’ third running back to start the season and was active for all six games. He played 102 snaps on special teams and just five snaps on offense, having never touched the ball once.

With Williams back to full health and a couple players on the Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform list set to come off of it soon, releasing Perine opens up a soon-to-be-needed roster spot. There’s just no need for a fourth running back when you can’t successfully run the ball with the other three.

Now in his third-year, Perine will look to find work for his third team. The 24-year-old ran for 603 yards as a fourth-round rookie in Washington in 2017.