Zack Moss Bio
Zack Moss is an American professional football running back known for his workhorse style and receiving skills out of the backfield. After a record-setting college career with the Utah Utes, he entered the National Football League when the Buffalo Bills selected him in the third round of the 2020 NFL draft. Moss has since played for the Buffalo Bills, the Indianapolis Colts, and most recently the Cincinnati Bengals.
Early Life and Background
Zaccheus Malik Moss was born on December 15, 1997, in Hialeah Gardens, Florida. He attended Mater Academy Charter School in Hialeah Gardens before transferring to Hallandale High School in Hallandale Beach, Florida, for his senior year. At Hallandale, he lined up alongside future college teammate Tyler Huntley and rushed for 1,098 yards on 145 carries with 17 touchdowns, drawing attention from college recruiters across the country.
Originally committed to the University of Miami, Moss changed his college choice and signed with the University of Utah. The decision launched one of the most productive careers in Utah football history. Moss is the cousin of former NFL wide receivers Santana Moss and Sinorice Moss, and a second cousin of defensive back Patrick Peterson, giving him a clear football family pedigree.
Path to American Football
Moss arrived at Utah in 2016 and quickly carved out a role in the Utes backfield. As a freshman, he played in 10 games with three starts, rushing for 382 yards and two touchdowns on 84 carries. The following year, as a sophomore in 2017, he started 12 of 13 games and produced 1,173 rushing yards on 214 carries with 10 touchdowns, establishing himself as a featured back.
His junior season in 2018 ended early when he suffered a knee injury in practice after starting the first nine games. Moss returned for his senior year in 2019 and started 11 of 12 regular-season games, rushing for 1,246 yards and 15 touchdowns while averaging 6.2 yards per carry. He became the first three-time 1,000-yard rusher in Utah history and was named Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year, capping his career with school records of 4,067 rushing yards and 38 rushing touchdowns.
Zack Moss Career
Early Career (2020)
The Buffalo Bills selected Moss in the third round with the 86th overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft. He signed a four-year, $4.522 million contract on June 15, 2020, and made an immediate impact in his debut, catching a four-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Josh Allen in Week 1 against the New York Jets. Moss scored two rushing touchdowns in a Week 8 victory over the New England Patriots, finishing his rookie season with 481 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 112 carries.
His rookie year ended in the wild-card playoff round against the Indianapolis Colts, when an ankle injury forced him off the field. Moss was placed on injured reserve in January 2021. In 2021, he returned with several strong performances, including a two-touchdown game against the Miami Dolphins a day after attending his aunt’s funeral and a 60-yard rushing effort against the Washington Football Team. He played in five games for the Bills in 2022, rushing for 91 yards.
Indianapolis Colts Era (2022–2023)
On November 1, 2022, Buffalo traded Moss and a conditional 2023 sixth-round pick to the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for running back Nyheim Hines. An injury to starter Jonathan Taylor elevated Moss to the Colts’ primary running back, beginning with a game against the Los Angeles Chargers. He became a reliable option in the Indianapolis backfield.
Moss opened the 2023 season strong, rushing for 88 yards and a touchdown against the Houston Texans, then posting 122 rushing yards against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 3. In Week 5, he recorded 165 rushing yards and two touchdowns in a 23–16 win over the Tennessee Titans. He finished 2023 as the Colts’ leading rusher with a career-high 794 rushing yards and five touchdowns across 14 games, while also adding 27 catches for 192 yards and two receiving scores.
Cincinnati Bengals Era (2024)
Moss signed a two-year contract with the Cincinnati Bengals on March 11, 2024, and was named the team’s starting running back. He scored Cincinnati’s first touchdown of the season in a Week 1 loss to the New England Patriots. Through eight games, Moss logged 74 carries for 242 yards and two touchdowns before a neck injury placed him on injured reserve on November 5, ending his season.
Driving Style and Strengths
Moss is a physical, between-the-tackles runner with strong leg drive and reliable hands as a receiver. He excels in short-yardage and goal-line situations while also offering value on screens and check-downs. His patience at the line of scrimmage and contact balance allow him to pick up extra yards after first contact.
Notable Events and Milestones
Moss became Utah’s all-time leading rusher during a 2019 game against Arizona State and earned Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year the same season. He scored touchdowns in his NFL debut and later produced a 165-yard, two-touchdown game for the Colts. The Bills released him in 2022, and the Bengals released him on July 30, 2025.
Zack Moss Career Wins
Zack Moss has accumulated a steady body of work as a starting and complementary running back across the NFL. His most productive seasons came in 2019 at Utah and 2023 with the Colts, where he set or matched career highs. While team success has varied, Moss has consistently delivered as a short-yardage runner and third-down option.
College and NFL Highlights
At Utah, Moss finished with 4,067 rushing yards and 38 rushing touchdowns, both school records, and was a first-team All-Pac-12 selection in 2019. In the NFL, he has posted four rushing touchdowns as a rookie, a career-high 794 rushing yards in 2023, and two receiving touchdowns across his career. He also appeared in the 2020 AFC wild-card game for the Bills.
Other Wins and Performances
Moss has posted multiple multi-touchdown games at both the college and professional level, including two-touchdown efforts against the New England Patriots in 2020 and the Miami Dolphins in 2021. His 2023 season with the Colts featured three games with at least 122 rushing yards.
Zack Moss Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Moss comes from a notable football family. He is the cousin of former NFL wide receivers Santana Moss and Sinorice Moss and a second cousin of All-Pro defensive back Patrick Peterson. This family connection helped shape his early understanding of the game and motivated his path to the NFL.
Personal Life
Public information about Moss’s personal life centers on his family ties within the NFL community. He has kept his private life largely out of the public eye while building his professional career across multiple teams.
2025 Season Performance
Heading into 2025, Zack Moss was released by the Cincinnati Bengals on July 30, 2025, becoming a free agent. After a 2024 season cut short by a neck injury that landed him on injured reserve in November, Moss will be looking to demonstrate that he is fully healthy and capable of handling a featured back role. His track record of 794 rushing yards with the Colts in 2023 shows he can produce when given a steady workload.
For potential suitors, Moss offers a physical running style, dependable pass protection, and reliable hands out of the backfield. The 2025 season will be a pivotal chapter, as he seeks a new opportunity to re-establish himself as an every-down back in the NFL. His combination of experience, durability history, and special-teams value could make him an attractive option for teams in need of backfield depth.