The Cincinnati Bengals went to the waiver...

The Cincinnati Bengals went to the waiver wire and claimed running back Garrison Hearst to back up Ki-Jana Carter, last year’s No. 1 pick who still has not played in a regular-season game.

The Bengals claimed Hearst from Arizona and fullback Brian Milne, a rookie out of Penn State, from Indianapolis.

Last year, in his first full season, Hearst rushed for 1,070 yards and caught 29 passes for 243 yards.

Hearst’s Atlanta-based agent, Pat Dye Jr., said he was surprised the Bengals claimed Hearst.

“I was just surprised anyone would pick him up, because when I looked at the teams that had the money to pick him up, they didn’t need a running back, and the ones that needed one didn’t have the money,” Dye said.

Dye said he expected the Bengals to try to convince Hearst to renegotiate his $2.1-million, one-year contract.