The Chicago Bears offense got on track against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 3, but the running game itself remains a serious problem.
The Bears miscast D’Andre Swift as a lead running back ahead of the 2024 campaign, paying him $24 million over three years to be the guy in Chicago. But new head coach Ben Johnson, while still the offensive coordinator of the Detroit Lions, traded Swift the year prior in favor of a two-pronged backfield featuring Jahmyr Gibbs as the speed option and ex-Bears rusher David Montgomery as the hard-hitter between the tackles.
Perhaps the most glaring inaction involving Chicago’s roster over the offseason was that Johnson and company didn’t push the front office to add another RB in the mold of Montgomery to complement Swift. And after three games, that addition omission has shown up in a big way.
Maurice Jones-Drew of NFL.com, a former professional running back turned analyst, published a list of five rushers that teams in need at the position should consider pursuing now, ahead of the league’s November 4 trade deadline.
At the top of his list was New York Jets running back Breece Hall, who could be a strong fit for the Bears alongside Swift.
Breece Hall Makes Sense as Trade Candidate for Bears, Jets
GettyRunning back Breece Hall of the New York Jets.
Jones-Drew named Chicago specifically, along with a handful of other teams, as a franchise that should be interested in Hall.
The Jets drafted two running backs in 2024, Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis, and Hall is in the final year of his $9 million rookie deal and will be a free agent next March.
“Little has gone well so far for the 2025 Jets, who dwell in the AFC East cellar alongside the also winless [Miami] Dolphins. Hall is in the final year of his rookie contract and knows he’s not the new regime’s guy,” Jones-Drew wrote. “His potential departure in the coming weeks would allow Allen and Davis to take on bigger roles in [OC Tanner] Engstrand’s offense and net New York some quality draft capital, as well. Hall is a big back who can do everything asked of him as a rusher and receiver out of the backfield.”
Hall has tallied 157 rushing yards on 38 carries this season (4.1 yards per attempt). He has also caught eight passes for 78 yards.
Bears’ Running Backs Have Failed to Produce All Season, Particularly D’Andre Swift
GettyChicago Bears running back D’Andre Swift.
The Bears have rushed the football 82 times for 340 yards as a team, which equates to a reasonable average of 4.1 yards per attempt. However, quarterback Caleb Williams is responsible for 16 of those carries and 97 of those yards.
When taking Williams out of the equation and looking at the RBs room exclusively, Chicago has hauled the ball 66 times for 243 yards (3.68 yards per carry). Swift, the No. 1 back, has even worse numbers than that at 42 carries for 149 yards (3.5 yards per attempt).
The Bears’ options in free agency are slim, so a trade is the most likely path to solving the problem in the running back room.
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