If the Chicago Bears still have any interest in signing another veteran running back before training camp, they might want to act fast before the supply runs out.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Denver Broncos agreed to terms on a one-year, $5.25 million contract with veteran running back J.K. Dobbins on Tuesday. The team made the signing official with a formal announcement the following day.
Dobbins, 26, had been one of the top available free-agent running backs on the market before signing his new deal with the Broncos on Tuesday. He ran for 905 yards and nine touchdowns in 13 games for the Los Angeles Chargers in 2024 and finished as a finalist for the NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award behind quarterback Joe Burrow.
With Dobbins now off the market, the Bears have seen both of their popularly projected free-agent targets at running back sign with other teams this week. The Houston Texans also signed former Cleveland Browns superstar Nick Chubb to a one-year deal Monday.
The Bears will reconvene for the start of training camp when rookies report on July 16.
Will Bears Still Add RB After J.K. Dobbins’ Signing?
The Bears have not directly said they want to sign another running back to their roster before the start of training camp, but general manager Ryan Poles did express a desire to add to their backfield earlier in the 2025 offseason that went largely unfulfilled.
The only free-agent move the Bears made at running back in 2025 was re-signing Travis Homer — a special-teams contributor — to a one-year contract to serve as a depth piece. They also waited until the seventh round of the 2025 NFL draft to invest in a rookie running back, landing on the unpolished Kyle Monangai out of Rutgers as their choice.
Even still, the Bears might feel they have all they need.
Veteran D’Andre Swift returns for his second season in Chicago to lead the backfield behind a much-improved offensive line that could lead to a more productive season for him. The Bears also have Roschon Johnson, Homer, Ian Wheeler and Monangai vying for complementary roles in the rotation in the first year of Ben Johnson’s new offense.
If the Bears are optimistic about their current options coming out of OTAs, they could simply stay the course and ignore the outside noise about them adding another rusher … although, free agency does not have to be their only route to acquiring another back.
Would Bears Consider Making a Trade for New RB?
In terms of unsigned free-agent running backs, the Bears have a limited selection.
Two of the best options left on the market are Jamaal Williams and Gus Edwards. Both are 30-year-old backs who are past their respective primes, but Williams has a history with Johnson after rushing for a career-high 1,066 yards and 17 touchdowns in his system during his first season as the Detroit Lions‘ offensive coordinator in 2022.
If the Bears feel they need something more substantial, though, would they consider working the phones and finding out what options are available on the trade market?
It is unclear which running backs teams are shopping on the trade block in mid-June, but there are some contract-seeking options the Bears could check in on. James Cook is the best among that bunch and could make things interesting if he holds out of training camp until a new deal is signed with the Buffalo Bills, though his availability is unlikely.
Seattle’s Kenneth Walker III and Atlanta’s Tyler Allgeier are more realistic options, as each one occupies a backfield where other backs could take over if they were traded, but the Bears would need to decide whether giving up draft capital is worth a potential one-year rental — or, otherwise, have a plan in place to sign their acquisition to a new deal.
