Bears Expected to Welcome Back 2,300-Yard Rusher to Former Coach's Team

The Chicago Bears might still add more depth to their running back position. Since they opted to select an RB only in the seventh round, Ryan Poles could seek external reinforcements to feel content with the running backs roster.

First-year head coach Ben Johnson prides himself on having a two-headed monster in Detroit with Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery. With D’Andre Swift expected to fill Gibbs’ role in Chicago, there are questions if third-year back Roschon Johnson or this year’s seventh-rounder Kyle Monangai are enough to fill the “Knuckles” role Montgomery plays in Detroit. The Athletic’s Ben Standig recently speculated that a reunion between Bears running backs coach Eric Bieniemy and Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. could be on the horizon.

Standig pointed out that two of Robinson’s mentees in Washington, Randy Jordan (Tennessee Titans) and Eric Bieniemy (Chicago Bears), lead their respective running back units despite having depth charts that lack complete talent.

Brian Robinson Jr. Might Take Over the 'Knuckles' Position With the Bears

Robinson stands taller at 6'1" and weighs more with 228 pounds versus Swift, who measures 5'9" and tips the scales at 215 pounds. According to Standing, up until Week 9 during the previous season, Robinson managed an average of 4.6 yards per carry and successfully converted 87.5 percent of his third-down tries, as reported by TruMedia.

The Commanders may well consider moving away from Robinson. After next season, he is expected to hit free agency, and the team might seek to bring in some younger talent. There’s already talk around the Commanders' draft choice of the Arizona running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt arguing for Robinson to lose his position as a starter.

A significant amount of football remains for Robinson to showcase his skills. At 26 years old, he has accumulated 570 rushes for 2,329 yards and scored 15 touchdowns throughout his first three seasons in the NFL. Last season stood out particularly, as he achieved personal bests with 799 rushing yards, eight touchdowns, and an impressive 4.3-yard per carry average.

Although he primarily excels as a runner, lacking in pass-catching skills, Swift compensates for this deficiency.

Alternative Running Back Choices for the Bears

Two other prominent figures associated with the Bears in recent weeks are Nick Chubb of the Cleveland Browns and J.K. Dobbins of the Los Angeles Chargers.

At 29 years old, Chubb has recently experienced two successive season-ending injuries, which could impact his performance. Previously, he had been selected for four consecutive Pro Bowls between 2019 and 2022, accumulating more than 6,300 rushing yards and scoring 48 touchdowns during his tenure with the Browns. However, along with these injury worries, running backs typically see their careers decline as they approach 30.

In contrast, Dobbins, who is 26 years old, shares the same age with Robinson and is often regarded by numerous people as the Bears’ best option. In the past, he endured a significant injury, yet Dobbins experienced a resurgence in 2024, amassing 905 rushing yards along with nine touchdowns. However, the issue with Dobbins lies in his skills potentially overlapping too much with those of Swift, making it difficult for Johnson to find a runner who complements their style better.

The Bears have a ton of weapons on offense, but if there’s a moment of realization where adding an RB of Robinson’s skillset might be the final piece of the puzzle, the Bears could likely snag him for a Day 3 draft pick.

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