Questions persist about the quality of the Chicago Bears’ running back room heading into their preseason finale against the Kansas City Chiefs on Friday, but the door is still open for them to make a move on the NFL trade market.
The Bears are currently set to return most of the same backfield personnel that they fielded last season, when they ranked eighth-worst in the league as a rushing offense. While they added seventh-round rookie Kyle Monangai to the mix, he projects as their only new addition to the rotation behind veteran D’Andre Swift and Roschon Johnson.
With the 53-man roster cutdown deadline on fast approach, though, teams have begun wheeling and dealing on the trade market to fine-tune their initial active rosters. One of those trades has also included a running back, with ESPN’s Adam Schefter reporting Friday that the San Francisco 49ers are acquiring Brian Robinson Jr. from Washington.
In the spirit of things, Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay predicted the Bears will also enter the fray of the running back trade market and make a deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for rising star running back Rachaad White, offering a 2026 fifth-rounder in exchange.
“Rather than running it back with Swift leading a platoon that also includes the disappointing Roschon Johnson and rookie Kyle Monangai, the Bears should work to bring in a proven back like Rachaad White,” Kay wrote Thursday.
“He’s well worth a fifth-round pick, a move that would cap off Chicago’s major offensive renovations and massively upgrade the backfield.”
Rachaad White Could Give Bears an Improved 1-2 Punch
If the Bears decide to search the trade market for an experienced back who can improve their backfield before the season, they should strongly consider calling Tampa Bay.
White has gained more than 3,300 yards from scrimmage for the Buccaneers over his first three seasons in their backfield, reaching a career-high of 1,539 total yards in 2023 when he finished 10 yards shy of 1,000 on the ground and added 549 yards through the air. That’s nearly 200 yards more than Swift’s career-best season total (1,345) in 2024.
White has also scored an average of seven touchdowns per season, splitting his scoring production nearly down the middle with 10 rushing scores and 11 touchdown catches.
While that’s not production to throw away lightly, the Buccaneers could be amenable to trade offers for White. He is no longer the lead running back on their depth chart after Bucky Irving stole the show — and the role — with his breakout rookie season in 2024. A 2022 third-round pick, White is also entering the final year of his rookie contract.
The Bears might need to offer a fifth-round pick to persuade the Buccaneers to part with White sooner than expected, but it could prove worthwhile for their 2025 offense.
How Much Will Preseason Finale Factor into RB Decisions?
Without a trade, the Bears seem most likely to keep four running backs on their initial 53-man roster next week. Swift is the starter, while Johnson and Monangai will vie for short-yardage and rotational reps behind him. Veteran Travis Homer also projects to stick around due to his special-teams value, which earned him a new deal in March.
That said, the Bears’ other roster-hopeful running backs will have one more chance to sway the coaches’ stance on the position in Friday’s preseason finale against the Chiefs.
Ian Wheeler probably has the best shot at cracking the roster of the remaining bunch. The 5-foot-10, 206 Howard grad looked promising for the Bears as an undrafted rookie in 2024 before suffering a season-ending injury in their preseason finale and landing on injured reserve. A year and a coaching staff change later, Wheeler continues to impress.
Thus far, Wheeler has rushed for 100 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries in his first two games of 2025 preseason action, ranking fourth in the league for his total rushing yards. He has, however, caught just one of his three passing targets.
The Bears also have Brittain Brown and recently signed veteran Royce Freeman in the mix for a place on the roster. Brown had 73 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries for the Bears in their 38-0 preseason win over the Buffalo Bills last weekend, while the xx-year-old Freeman has 471 career rushing attempts and 10 total touchdowns on his resume.
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