Chris Brooks Is Trying To Outrun the Roster Bubble
Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
The Miami Dolphins and the Washington Commanders were in a tightly contested preseason affair with the Dolphins holding a four-point lead over the Commanders at halftime. However, a seismic shift of momentum occurred early in the third quarter when Phins running back Chris Brooks burst through a massive hole created by right guard Jack Driscoll for a 59-yard gain.
Here’s the 59-yard run from Chris Brooks before he went down on the ensuing play. pic.twitter.com/OewB1wWYGv
— David Furones (@DavidFurones_) August 18, 2024
On his very next play, Brooks slipped on the turf while making a cut and took a crushing blow to the head/neck area. The undrafted second-year back was down for a couple of minutes, got helped up by the athletic training staff, and hobbled off the field under his own power to the locker room. Brooks is on the Dolphins roster bubble, through no fault of his own. He’s been impressive so far in the preseason, but there’s no guarantee he makes the team in a loaded Miami RB room.
That two-play sequence perfectly encapsulates life as a backup RB in the NFL. One play, you’re making a damn good case to make the 53-man roster after a dominant run. A rush of adrenaline and dopamine hits and you feel like you’re on cloud nine. The next play, you’re on the turf writhing in pain. A coach on the sideline tells your backup, who like you, has everything to prove, to sub in for you. Suddenly, your future on the team feels so much more uncertain than it did moments ago.
Brooks is a player who has proven his worth on multiple occasions, yet has nothing to show for it in terms of job security. Last year, he was buried on the depth chart behind Raheem Mostert, De’Von Achane, Jeff Wilson, and Salvon Ahmed. That room got even more crowded when Miami selected speedster Jaylen Wright in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Wright’s ascension in training camp means Brooks won’t get any touches in the backfield unless the Dolphins are decimated by injuries.
Despite the odds of seeing the field being stacked against him, Brooks is an overachieving high-energy backup RB for Miami who still managed to make the 53-man roster last year after some productive preseason performances. While he didn’t get a ton of snaps as a rookie, the tailback showed off his efficiency when called upon. In Week 3 of the 2023 preseason against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Chris Brooks had two rushing touchdowns while averaging 5.5 yards per carry. He finished the 2023 preseason with 104 rushing yards on just 22 carries.
Brooks’ chances of making the 53-man roster once again are improving by the day. The Dolphins released running back Ahmed on Monday. Ahmed was Brooks’ primary competitor for that fifth running back spot. After a foot injury sidelined Ahmed for all of training camp and the preseason, Brooks was able to bump the four-year Dolphins back off the roster with his preseason dominance.
Even with those recent developments working in Brooks’ favor, there’s no guarantee that he makes the Dolphins 53-man roster to start the season. Brooks’ aforementioned injury landed him in concussion protocol, and there’s no timetable for his return. Additionally, the Dolphins announced the signings of not one, but two new running backs in Zander Horvath and Anthony McFarland Jr. While it’s highly unlikely that Horvath or McFarland make the roster, they each will get an opportunity to make an impression in Miami’s final preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Friday.
Perhaps the most agonizing part of all is that Brooks now finds himself on the defensive as he watches other players try to steal his job while he’s stuck in concussion protocol. The road ahead for Brooks will be determined by how long this untimely injury lingers. If he’s cleared for action by cutdown day on August 27, then chances are Brooks will make the 53-man roster as the fifth-string running back.
If that doesn’t happen, he’ll likely be waived and be able to sign with another team that lacks quality depth at tailback. Regardless of the outcome, Brooks has been out there running for his life – in the NFL, anyway — and showing that he deserves a spot, whether in Miami or elsewhere.
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