It’s fair to say that the Chicago Bears need some help in their backfield heading into their Monday night matchup against the Minnesota Vikings Week 1.
D’Andre Swift is holding down the starting job, but Roschon Johnson and rookie Kyle Monangai are sidelined with injuries, and Travis Homer just landed on injured reserve.
Last week, the Bears had a practice where Swift was the only running back on the 53-man roster practicing. When you literally have one healthy running back available, it might be time to add a reinforcement or two.
One name who could make sense for Chicago is Damien Martinez, a rookie currently stashed on the Seattle Seahawks practice squad. Martinez may not have been a high draft pick, but his college résumé is an impressive one, and he fits the type of early-down runner the Bears are missing with Roschon out.
Martinez Had Standout College Career at Oregon State
GettyThe Chicago Bears could sign RB Damien Martinez off the Seattle Seahawks practice squad.
Martinez arrived at Oregon State in 2022 and wasted no time asserting himself. As a true freshman, he racked up 982 yards on the ground, netting an impressive 6.1 yards per carry. The Beavers leaned on him heavily late in the season that year and he delivered, with multiple 100-yard games that put the rest of the conference on notice.
His sophomore season was his best, as Martinez piled up 1,185 yards and nine touchdowns in 2023. He had six 100-yard games that fall.
When the Pac-12 fractured, Martinez transferred to Miami for the 2024 season and played well yet again. He topped 1,000 yards, this time averaging 6.3 yards per carry with 10 touchdowns against pretty decent ACC competition.
Martinez forced more than 130 missed tackles in college, and Seattle saw enough to draft him in the seventh round this spring. A crowded backfield led to his release on cutdown day and a quick return to the practice squad.
Should the Bears swoop in and steal him? We think they should.
Why Signing RB Damien Martinez Might Be a Good Thing for the Chicago Bears
Practice-squad players are free to sign with another team’s 53-man roster, and Chicago’s backfield injuries make Martinez a logical candidate. Slotting Martinez into a short-yardage and early-down role would help take some pressure off Swift and give the offense a steadier run/pass balance until Johnson and Monangai return.
Beyond short-term help for the RBs room, Martinez also has intriguing upside. He’s young, cost-controlled and comes from two Power-5 programs where he carried a full workload. If he adjusts quickly, he could do more than just hold the fort—he could challenge Roschon for RB2.
Johnson has battled injuries in consecutive seasons, and the Bears won’t be able to wait forever for him to take the leap. If Martinez proves reliable in pass protection and finishes runs at the NFL level the way he did in college, it’s not far-fetched to imagine him pushing Johnson for RB2 snaps. He has a similar build and makeup to that of Johnson: both are 6-foot, with Johnson weighing 227 pounds and Martinez 10 pounds lighter at 217.
Martinez isn’t a star, but he’s a proven runner who can give Chicago a tad more stability. Ryan Poles should definitely be interested.
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