Bears Lose Out on 7,000-Yard Pro Bowl Running Back to AFC Foe

The Chicago Bears revamped just about every position on the offensive side of the football this offseason, save for running back.

The only addition the team has made to its collection of rushers so far is rookie Kyle Monangai, whom it selected out of Rutgers in the seventh round of this year’s NFL draft.

That is somewhat surprising given that new head coach Ben Johnson, formerly the offensive coordinator of the Detroit Lions for the past three seasons, built a two-headed running back monster there in the form of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery. To do so, he and the rest of the Lions’ decision makers traded D’Andre Swift — currently the Bears’ starting running back — to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Thus, when former Cleveland Browns star Nick Chubb hit free agency this spring, he figured to be a logical fit for Chicago as the proverbial thunder to Swift’s lightning in the offensive backfield. The Bears reportedly “beat down the door” for Chubb in the spring, but lost out on him on Monday.

“Browns free agent RB Nick Chubb, one of the most decorated players available, is expected to sign with the [Houston] Texans on Monday if all goes well with his physical, sources say,” Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported on Sunday, June 8. “Chubb’s 2024 ended prematurely with an injury, but now he could return for more in Houston.”

Chubb ultimately signed a one-year deal worth $2.5 million on Monday after passing his physical.

Bears Could Have Found Extreme Value in Signing Nick Chubb to Short-Term Deal

GettyFormer Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb.

What Chubb has left in the tank is hard to say.

He was a four-time Pro Bowl running back through his first five seasons in Cleveland, rushing for north of 6,300 yards and 48 touchdowns over that span. However, he tore multiple ligaments in his knee early in the 2023 campaign, which cost him the rest of the year and a good portion of 2024. He then returned to the field for eight games last season before breaking his foot, which ended his year.

Chubb will play at 30 years old in 2025, which has traditionally been something of a benchmark age for the decline of running backs, as the position is incredibly taxing physically. However, Chubb bounced back from a similarly devastating injury during his collegiate career at Georgia, which provides at least some semblance of hope that he could return to a form similar to the one he struck prior to the catastrophic events of 2023.

Beyond that, Chubb’s value at $2.5 million creates a potentially massive upside that the Bears might have capitalized on had they inked the running back. Instead, he will take his nearly 7,000 career rushing yards to the AFC South, where Houston is the favorite to win the division for the third consecutive year.

Bears Left With Questions at RB After Nick Chubb Chooses Texans

GettyChicago Bears running back Roschon Johnson.

Where Chicago might go at running back is now one of the more interesting questions remaining as the team approaches the start of training camp.

The Bears tried to trade up from the No. 10 pick in April’s draft, presumably to land star rusher Ashton Jeanty who ended up with the Las Vegas Raiders via the No. 6 overall selection.

Roschon Johnson is currently the No. 2 back on Chicago’s depth chart, though his battles with multiple concussions since joining the league have limited his production and pose real questions about his future.