Samaje Perine Bio
Samaje Perine (born September 16, 1995) is an American professional football running back for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL). Standing 5 feet 11 inches tall and listed at 240 pounds, he is recognized for his compact build, pass-catching ability out of the backfield, and steady work as a complementary runner. He played college football for the Oklahoma Sooners and was selected by the Washington Redskins in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL draft.
Perine first gained national attention as a college freshman in 2014, when he set the NCAA FBS single-game rushing record. Since then, he has built a long professional career as a rotational back and reliable receiver, contributing on offense and special teams across multiple organizations. He currently plays for the Cincinnati Bengals, his third stint with the franchise.
Early Life and Background
Samaje Perine was born in Jackson, Alabama, and later moved with his family to Pflugerville, Texas. He attended Hendrickson High School, where he was a three-year starter at running back for the Hendrickson Hawks football team. As a junior, he rushed for 1,993 yards and 16 touchdowns, and in his senior year he added 1,492 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns. His production on the field helped him earn a four-star recruit ranking, and he was listed as the No. 13 running back in the nation by Rivals.com.
Beyond football, Perine competed in track and field at Hendrickson. He earned first-place finishes in the triple jump and long jump at the 2011 Manor Relay and also anchored winning 4×100 and 4×200 meter relay squads. In 2011, he recorded a personal-best time of 11.37 seconds in the 100-meter dash, showing the kind of speed and explosiveness that translated well to the football field.
Perine also gained attention in high school for his unusual physical strength. During his years at Hendrickson and later at Oklahoma, he was known for feats such as helping lift a car to free a fellow student without a jack to change a flat tire. Oklahoma strength coach Jerry Schmidt later noted that Perine could out-bench most of the Sooners’ linemen, posting a max bench press of 440 pounds.
Path to American Football
Perine committed to the University of Oklahoma in March 2013, choosing the Sooners over scholarship offers from Alabama, Nebraska, TCU, and Tennessee. He enrolled as part of a strong recruiting class and quickly earned playing time as a true freshman in 2014. The Big 12 conference named him Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year, and he was recognized as a Second-team All-American at the conclusion of his first college season.
His path to NFL stardom was not a straight line. After three productive seasons at Oklahoma, he declared early for the 2017 NFL draft and was selected in the fourth round. He has since carved out a long professional career as a hard-running, sure-handed running back who can contribute on early downs, in the passing game, and on special teams.
Samaje Perine Career
Early Career (2014–2016)
Perine burst onto the college scene as a freshman at Oklahoma in 2014, rushing for 77 yards and a touchdown in his debut against Louisiana Tech. He continued to pile up big numbers, including 242 yards and four touchdowns in his fourth game and 213 yards against Texas Tech on November 15, 2014. He capped his freshman year with 1,713 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns on 263 carries, earning Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year and Second-team All-American honors.
In 2015, he helped lead Oklahoma to the College Football Playoff, rushing for 201 yards and four scores against Texas Tech and finishing the year with 1,349 rushing yards and 16 rushing touchdowns. The Sooners lost to Clemson in the Orange Bowl. In 2016, he topped 1,000 rushing yards for the third straight season, broke the Oklahoma career rushing record in the Sugar Bowl against Auburn, and was named Second-team All-Big 12. He finished his college career with 4,122 rushing yards, opting to enter the 2017 NFL draft.
Washington Redskins Era (2017–2018)
The Washington Redskins selected Perine in the fourth round (114th overall) of the 2017 NFL draft, the ninth running back taken that year. He signed a four-year, $3.05 million contract on May 11, 2017, and joined a backfield that included Chris Thompson, Robert Kelley, and Mack Brown. He made his debut against the Los Angeles Rams on September 17, 2017, with 21 carries for 67 yards, and later that season recorded his first career rushing touchdown against the New Orleans Saints.
Perine posted consecutive 100-yard rushing games against the Saints and the New York Giants, becoming the first Redskins running back to do so since Alfred Morris in 2013. He finished his rookie year with 603 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown, 22 receptions, 182 receiving yards, and a receiving touchdown. In 2018, the arrival of Adrian Peterson limited his carries, and he finished with only 32 rushing yards before being waived on August 31, 2019.
Cincinnati Bengals (First Stint) and Miami Dolphins (2019)
On September 1, 2019, the Cincinnati Bengals claimed Perine off waivers, though he was waived again on October 17 and re-signed to the practice squad the next day. The Miami Dolphins signed him off the Cincinnati practice squad on December 24, 2019, and he spent the rest of the season with Miami before being waived in April 2020.
Cincinnati Bengals (Second Stint, 2020–2022)
Perine returned to Cincinnati on April 28, 2020, when the Bengals claimed him off waivers. He produced 63 rushes for 301 yards and three touchdowns in 2020 and re-signed with the team on a two-year contract in March 2021. Working as a backup to former Oklahoma teammate Joe Mixon, he contributed as a pass catcher and short-yardage runner.
His biggest moment with the Bengals came in the 2021 AFC Championship Game against the Kansas City Chiefs, when he caught a 41-yard touchdown pass from Joe Burrow to help spark a comeback that sent Cincinnati to Super Bowl LVI. He played in the Super Bowl LVI loss to the Los Angeles Rams and returned in 2022 to post 394 rushing yards, two rushing touchdowns, a career-high 287 receiving yards, and four receiving touchdowns while filling in for an injured Mixon.
Denver Broncos (2023)
On March 16, 2023, Perine signed a two-year contract with the Denver Broncos. He appeared in 17 games with one start, finishing the year with 53 carries for 238 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown, while adding 50 receptions for 455 receiving yards. The Broncos released him on August 27, 2024.
Kansas City Chiefs (2024)
The Kansas City Chiefs signed Perine to a one-year, $1.5 million contract on August 28, 2024. In 2024, he produced 20 carries for 92 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown, plus 28 receptions for 322 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown. He played in Super Bowl LIX against the Philadelphia Eagles, recording one carry for eight yards in the 40–22 defeat.
Cincinnati Bengals (Third Stint, 2025–Present)
On March 13, 2025, Perine signed a two-year contract worth $3.8 million to return to the Cincinnati Bengals, his third stint with the franchise. He appeared in 15 games with two starts in 2025, finishing with 84 carries for 382 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns, while also serving as a pass-catching option out of the backfield.
Driving Style and Strengths
Perine is a thickly built, between-the-tackles runner with surprising agility and reliable hands. He excels as a check-down target on intermediate routes and has been trusted in pass-protection. His compact frame and low center of gravity help him absorb contact, while his track background shows in his ability to accelerate in short bursts.
Notable Events and Milestones
Perine’s signature moment came on November 22, 2014, when he rushed for 427 yards on 34 carries with five touchdowns against Kansas, breaking the NCAA FBS single-game rushing record that Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon had set the previous week. In the NFL, his 41-yard touchdown reception in the 2021 AFC Championship Game and his appearances in Super Bowl LVI and Super Bowl LIX stand out as career highlights.
Samaje Perine Career Wins
Perine’s professional résumé is built less on long stretches as a feature back and more on consistency, durability, and contributions across multiple teams. He has played in 100-plus regular-season and postseason games, won a starting job for stretches with several franchises, and appeared in two Super Bowls.
College and NFL Highlights
Perine finished his Oklahoma career with 4,122 rushing yards, third in school history at the time of his departure, and ranks among the most productive rushers in Big 12 history. His 2014 single-game rushing record remains the NCAA FBS standard, and he earned First-team All-Big 12 honors in 2014 and 2015, plus Second-team All-Big 12 recognition in 2016.
In the NFL, he has totaled more than 2,300 rushing yards and 1,600 receiving yards across his career to date, with 19 combined touchdowns. He has produced multiple 100-yard rushing games for the Redskins and Bengals, played in two Super Bowls, and helped Cincinnati reach Super Bowl LVI.
Other Performances
Beyond his primary stints, Perine has provided depth and special-teams value with the Miami Dolphins, Denver Broncos, and Kansas City Chiefs. His reliability as a third-down back and short-yardage runner has been a common thread across stops, and he has been a consistent locker-room presence for teams with playoff ambitions.
Samaje Perine Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Perine was raised in Jackson, Alabama, before his family moved to Pflugerville, Texas, where he attended Hendrickson High School. His cousins include La’Mical Perine, a former Florida Gators running back drafted by the New York Jets in 2020, and NFL linebacker Myles Jack.
Personal Life
Perine is widely known among teammates and coaches for his off-field strength and character, with anecdotes about him lifting vehicles to help stranded classmates becoming part of his public story. He has continued to build his personal brand and connect with fans through social media.
2025 Season Performance
Perine returned to the Cincinnati Bengals in 2025 on a two-year contract, returning to the franchise where he had two earlier stints and where he already knew the offensive system. He worked in a complementary role alongside the Bengals’ primary backfield options, focusing on short-yardage carries, blitz pickup, and possession receiving.
He produced 84 carries for 382 rushing yards and three touchdowns across 15 games and two starts. A highlight came in Week 8 against the New York Jets, when he rushed nine times for 94 yards and a touchdown and added a reception, providing a spark for the offense. Perine’s familiarity with the Bengals’ scheme and the trust of the coaching staff made him a steady contributor in rotation.
Looking ahead, Perine remains under contract with the Bengals and is expected to continue in a complementary backfield role, contributing on early downs, in the passing game, and on special teams as Cincinnati pushes for another postseason run.
