Samaje Perine Bio
Samaje Perine is an American professional football running back for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL). Standing about 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighing roughly 240 pounds, he is known for his powerful running style and his durability as both a rusher and a pass catcher. Perine first gained national attention at the University of Oklahoma, where he set the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision single-game rushing record as a freshman in 2014.
After three strong college seasons, Perine was selected by the Washington Redskins in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He went on to play for the Miami Dolphins, Denver Broncos, and Kansas City Chiefs before returning to Cincinnati. Across his NFL career, Perine has built a reputation as a dependable rotational back and a reliable contributor in short-yardage and receiving situations.
Early Life and Background
Samaje Perine was born on September 16, 1995, in Jackson, Alabama, and later moved with his family to Pflugerville, Texas. He attended Hendrickson High School, where he became a three-year starter at running back for the Hawks football team. As a junior, he rushed for 1,993 yards and 16 touchdowns, and in his final season he added 1,492 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns.
In addition to football, Perine competed in track and field at Hendrickson. At the 2011 Manor Relay, he took first place in both the triple jump, with a mark of 46 feet and half an inch, and the long jump, with a leap of 20 feet and 8 inches. He also anchored the school’s 4×100 and 4×200 relay squads to victory, and recorded a personal best of 11.37 seconds in the 100-meter dash.
Perine was rated a four-star recruit and ranked the No. 13 running back in the nation by Rivals.com. In March 2013, he committed to the University of Oklahoma, choosing the Sooners over offers from Alabama, Nebraska, TCU, and Tennessee.
Path to Professional Football
Perine joined the Oklahoma Sooners in 2014 and immediately carved out a role in the backfield. His freshman year included several breakout performances, including a 242-yard, four-touchdown game and a 213-yard, three-touchdown outing against Texas Tech. The highlight of his season came against Kansas, when he rushed for 427 yards and five touchdowns to set the FBS single-game rushing record, surpassing the mark Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon had set the previous week. He finished his freshman year with 1,713 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns, earning Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year and Second-team All-American honors.
In 2015, Perine continued to produce as Oklahoma reached the College Football Playoff. He recorded multiple 100-yard games, including a 201-yard, four-touchdown performance against Texas Tech and a 166-yard, two-touchdown effort against Baylor. The Sooners faced Clemson in the Orange Bowl semifinal, where Perine finished with 58 rushing yards and a touchdown in a 37–17 loss. He closed the season with 1,349 rushing yards and 16 rushing touchdowns.
Perine’s junior season in 2016 featured a 214-yard, two-touchdown game against TCU and a 239-yard, one-touchdown performance against Oklahoma State. In the Sugar Bowl against Auburn on January 2, 2017, he broke Oklahoma’s all-time career rushing record, surpassing Heisman Trophy winner Billy Sims with 4,122 yards. He finished the year with 1,060 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns, then decided to forgo his senior year and enter the NFL Draft.
Samaje Perine Career
Early Career (2017–2019)
The Washington Redskins selected Samaje Perine in the fourth round, 114th overall, of the 2017 NFL Draft, making him the ninth running back taken that year. He signed a four-year, $3.05 million contract on May 11, 2017, and joined a committee backfield that included Chris Thompson, Robert Kelley, and Mack Brown. He debuted on September 17, 2017, against the Los Angeles Rams with 21 rushes for 67 yards.
As a rookie, Perine recorded his first career touchdown on a three-yard reception from Kirk Cousins against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 6. After injuries thinned the backfield, he took on a larger role and posted back-to-back 100-yard games against the New Orleans Saints and the New York Giants in Weeks 10 and 11, becoming the first Redskins running back to accomplish that feat since Alfred Morris in 2013. He finished his rookie year with 603 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown, 22 receptions, 182 receiving yards, and one receiving touchdown. In 2018, limited by the arrival of Adrian Peterson, he had only eight carries for 32 yards and was waived before the 2019 season.
Washington Redskins and Early Bengals Years
Perine was claimed off waivers by the Cincinnati Bengals on September 1, 2019, but was waived on October 17 and re-signed to the practice squad a day later. On December 24, 2019, the Miami Dolphins signed him off Cincinnati’s practice squad, only to waive him on April 26, 2020.
Cincinnati Bengals Breakthrough (2020–2022)
Perine returned to Cincinnati on April 28, 2020, when the Bengals claimed him off waivers. In Week 8 against the Tennessee Titans, he scored his first touchdown since Week 11 of the 2017 season. He capped the year with 13 carries for 95 yards and two touchdowns against the Houston Texans, finishing the 2020 season with 63 rushes for 301 yards and three touchdowns while averaging 4.8 yards per carry. He then re-signed with the Bengals on a two-year contract in March 2021.
Serving as a backup to former Oklahoma teammate Joe Mixon, Perine contributed 55 carries for 246 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown, along with 27 receptions for 196 yards and a touchdown in 2021. His biggest moment came in the AFC Championship Game against the Kansas City Chiefs, when he caught a 41-yard touchdown pass from Joe Burrow during a comeback that helped Cincinnati reach the Super Bowl. He appeared in Super Bowl LVI against the Los Angeles Rams, finishing with two rushes for no gain in a 23–20 loss.
In 2022, Perine again backed up Mixon and started two games after Mixon suffered a concussion. He set career highs with 287 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns, adding 394 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns.
Denver Broncos Era (2023)
On March 16, 2023, the Denver Broncos signed Samaje Perine to a two-year contract. He appeared in 17 games with one start, finishing the 2023 season with 53 carries for 238 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown, plus 50 receptions for 455 receiving yards. The Broncos released him on August 27, 2024.
Kansas City Chiefs Era (2024)
On August 28, 2024, the Kansas City Chiefs signed Perine to a one-year, $1.5 million contract. In the 2024 season, he recorded 20 carries for 92 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown, along with 28 receptions for 322 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown. Perine played in Super Bowl LIX, carrying once for eight yards in a 40–22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Cincinnati Bengals Era (2025–Present)
On March 13, 2025, Perine officially returned to the Cincinnati Bengals on a two-year contract worth $3.8 million. He re-joined a backfield that includes Joe Mixon and Chase Brown as the Bengals look to build on consecutive playoff appearances.
Driving Style and Strengths
Samaje Perine is recognized for his physical, between-the-tackles running style, balance through contact, and dependable hands as a receiver out of the backfield. His compact frame and lower-body strength make him effective in short-yardage and goal-line situations, while his comfort catching passes has kept him on the field in third-down packages across multiple offenses.
Notable Events and Milestones
Perine’s defining career moment came on November 22, 2014, when he set the FBS single-game rushing record with 427 yards against Kansas. He later surpassed Billy Sims to become Oklahoma’s all-time leading rusher, and he has now played in two Super Bowls, appearing in Super Bowl LVI with the Bengals and Super Bowl LIX with the Chiefs.
Samaje Perine Career Wins
Across his professional career, Samaje Perine has contributed to several playoff runs, including appearances in the AFC Championship Game and two Super Bowls. While he is primarily valued as a complementary back, his role in high-leverage moments has helped shape some of the most memorable postseason stretches for his teams.
Career Highlights
Perine’s first NFL start came with Washington in 2017, when back-to-back 100-yard games helped stabilize the Redskins’ running game. He later scored a 41-yard touchdown reception in the 2021 AFC Championship to spark Cincinnati’s comeback win over Kansas City. His Super Bowl appearances came with Cincinnati in 2021 and with Kansas City in 2024.
Other Performances
Perine’s record-setting 427-yard rushing performance for Oklahoma in 2014 remains the FBS benchmark and the defining highlight of his college career. He added several 200-yard rushing games during his time at Oklahoma, including performances against Texas Tech, TCU, and Oklahoma State.
Samaje Perine Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Perine grew up in a close family that moved from Jackson, Alabama, to Pflugerville, Texas, where he developed his football foundation at Hendrickson High School. His cousin, La’Mical Perine, played running back for the Florida Gators and was drafted by the New York Jets in 2020, continuing the family’s football tradition. Perine is also a cousin of NFL linebacker Myles Jack.
Personal Life
During his time at Oklahoma, Perine became known for remarkable feats of strength, once helping lift a car off the ground so a fellow student could change a flat tire. Oklahoma strength coach Jerry Schmidt reported that Perine could out-bench most of the team’s offensive linemen, with a max bench press of 440 pounds, a squat of 540 pounds, a power clean of 380 pounds, and an incline bench of 315 pounds.
2025 Season Performance
Samaje Perine returned to the Cincinnati Bengals in March 2025 on a two-year contract worth $3.8 million, re-uniting with a backfield led by Chase Brown. He enters the 2025 season as a veteran presence capable of spelling Brown in early-down and short-yardage packages while providing a reliable receiving option on third downs.
Perine’s track record in pass protection and his experience in high-pressure games, including two Super Bowls, position him as a stabilizing veteran in Cincinnati’s offensive rotation. The Bengals’ ongoing development of quarterback Joe Burrow and their push to return to the AFC Championship conversation give Perine a clear opportunity to remain a meaningful contributor.
Looking ahead, Perine’s mix of power running, dependable hands, and postseason experience should keep him firmly in the Bengals’ plans. With his contract running through 2027, Cincinnati has invested in his versatility as both a runner and a receiver out of the backfield.