Busy night in preseason win

Brooks rushed six times for 22 yards, brought in his only target for minus-6 yards, returned one kickoff for 37 yards and lost a fumble in the Bengals' 30-13 preseason win over the Eagles on Friday.

The 2025 sixth-round pick got the start for the Bengals and touched the ball on Cincinnati's first two plays from scrimmage, netting seven yards on his first carry. Brooks subsequently fumbled the opening second-half kickoff to give the Eagles the ball at the Bengals' 43-yard line and tee up a Philadelphia field goal. The relatively unremarkable night put a cap on a modest preseason for Brooks, who rushed 13 times for 49 yards, posted a 4-22-0 receiving line and ran back two kickoffs for 66 yards. Brooks' biggest competitor for depth running back/returner role, Gary Brightwell, also coughed up the ball once Friday, so it could be a proverbial coin flip between the two in terms of final cuts.