The Chicago Bears have been dealing with some injuries across their roster heading into the regular season, and fewer position groups have been hit harder than running back.
While D’Andre Swift has been relatively healthy (quick, someone knock on wood), backups Roschon Johnson and rookie Kyle Monangai have both missed the bulk of the preseason with injuries. The Bears have a tough Minnesota Vikings defense led by Brian Flores waiting for them Week 1, so they might want to add some depth to the group.
One name Chicago might want to consider is currently sitting on the Philadelphia Eagles practice squad. Audric Estime could be the kind of low-risk, high-upside move that would give the Bears a downhill bruiser who loves to do the dirty work.
Remember when D’Onta Foreman filled in during an eight-game stretch in 2023 and amassed over 500 yards from scrimmage and five TDs? Estime’s that type of player. Let’s discuss.
A Look at Estime’s College & Pro Career
GettyThe Chicago Bears should consider signing RB Audric Estime off of the Philadelphia Eagles practice squad.
Estime’s college career was spent at Notre Dame, where he worked his way into the rotation as a freshman in 2021 before becoming the featured back two years later.
His breakout season came in 2023, when he rushed for 1,341 yards and 18 touchdowns, netting an impressive 6.4 yards per carry. That production included a monster 238-yard, four-touchdown game against Stanford, a performance that cemented his reputation as one of the most physical runners in the country. He left South Bend with 2,321 rushing yards and 29 receiving scores.
The Denver Broncos made him a fifth-round pick in 2024, and while expectations weren’t sky-high, Estime still flashed some traits. He logged 76 carries for 310 yards and two touchdowns as a rookie, but a pair of fumbles and the arrival of more experienced backs quickly squeezed him out of Sean Payton’s plans.
He was waived during the Broncos’ final roster cuts, and the Eagles pounced, signing him to their practice squad as a developmental piece behind Saquon Barkley, A.J. Dillon and Will Shipley.
Why the Chicago Bears Should Sign RB Audric Estime ASAP
With Johnson out, the Bears could really benefit from Estime’s physicality. He’s a 215-pound beast built to churn out tough yards. Considering how dependent Ben Johnson’s offense is on the run game, and having a fresh set of legs with that kind of power profile makes plenty of sense.
Perhaps just as importantly, Estime wouldn’t cost Chicago much at all. Plucking a player off another team’s practice squad requires a 53-man roster spot, but not a draft pick or financial gamble. If a team poaches another player off another team’s practice squad, that player has to be paid for three games, with a guaranteed roster spot for that duration.
But once three weeks is up, if Estime didn’t work out or Johnson were to come back fully healthy, Chicago could cut ties and move on.
In a season where Chicago can’t afford to stumble out of the gate, adding a player like him off the Eagles’ practice squad might be the kind of small, under-the-radar move that could pay off.
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