The Chicago Bears could still look to upgrade their running back position in the months leading up to the 2025 NFL season, but they will seemingly have one less trade option to consider if they go hunting for big game on the market.
After weeks of trade rumors, Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen shut down the possibility of his team dealing away former first-round running back Travis Etienne Jr. on Monday, dismissing speculation about his availability as “absolutely inaccurate.”
“Everything we’ve asked him to do, he’s done at a good clip for us,” Coen said Monday of Etienne. “I mean, the ability in the screen game, to hand him jet sweeps. His vision, so far, in the run game has been good. He’s done everything we’ve asked him to do, and more. There’s been a consistency.”
Multiple NFL analysts had floated the Bears as potential trade suitors for Etienne over the past month amid rumors that Jacksonville’s new coaching staff could want to move on from him. Etienne saw his role diminished with the Jaguars in 2024, finishing with career-low marks in carries (150), rushing yards (558) and rushing touchdowns (two).
Etienne is also entering his fifth-year option season in 2025, during which he will count roughly $6.1 million against the salary cap before becoming a free agent next offseason.
“Despite those struggles running the ball a year ago, new Bears head coach Ben Johnson didn’t do a lot to upgrade the backfield in the offseason,” Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport wrote this week. “Even if you don’t believe that Etienne could beat out D’Andre Swift to be the Bears’ No. 1 running back, Johnson’s offenses in Detroit made extensive usage of two backs.”
Instead, Etienne appears settled in Jacksonville for the 2025 season — at least for now.
Travis Etienne Trade Would Have Been Risky for Bears
The Bears could have realistically kicked the tires on a trade for Etienne if they emerged from OTAs feeling as though they needed more talent in their backfield. He has rushed for at least 1,000 yards in two of his three active seasons and has a pass-catching ability that could have made him a valuable complement for Swift in Johnson’s new offense.
A trade for Etienne would have come with moderate risk for Chicago, though.
While Etienne is a former top-25 draft pick, he experienced a concerning decline in his rushing production during the 2024 season. He did not rush for more than 68 yards in any of his 15 games for the Jaguars last season, averaging fewer than 38 rushing yards per game. He also gradually split more snaps and carries with fellow running back Tank Bigsby, who out-produced him and averaged nearly a full yard more per carry than him.
The Jaguars might have also sought a steep trade return for Etienne. While he will need a new contract next offseason — one that Jacksonville may not want to give him — he is an affordable talent with upside in his new system. The Jaguars would have little reason to deal him away unless a team made a too-good-to-refuse offer for him, and for the Bears, that could have meant giving up as high as a third-round pick as compensation.
Even if Johnson and the Bears believe the best is yet to come for Etienne, it is difficult to justify giving up significant draft capital to take a risk on a potential one-year rental.
Bears Have Veteran Free-Agent RB Options to Consider
The trade market could still present Chicago with some compelling options at running back between now and the start of the 2025 regular season. Backs such as James Cook, Breece Hall and Kenneth Walker III will all need new contracts for the 2026 season, and their respective teams could opt to shop them if they do not plan to re-sign them.
That said, the Bears do not need to make a trade to improve their running back depth.
As of June 3, veteran free agents Nick Chubb and J.K. Dobbins are still unsigned. Both backs are likely waiting until closer to training camp to find their next teams, but either one could bring a complementary skill set to the Bears offense alongside Swift. Chicago would also not need to pay out the wazoo for either back at this stage in the offseason.
Another option is Jamaal Williams. While he did not excel in his previous two seasons with the New Orleans Saints, he rushed for a career-high 17 touchdowns in 2022 during Johnson’s first season as the Detroit Lions’ offensive coordinator. At 30 years old, he is a little older than Chubb and Dobbins, but he could still offer a change-of-pace option.
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