Chicago Bears named team to ‘watch’ for Pro Bowl running back in free agency

Last week, Ben Johnson told Fox Sports‘ Colin Cowherd that he was open to changing up the Bears roster to make the backfield stronger.

“The number one deciding factor, winning and losing now is quarterback success and quarterback efficiency, but the best way you can help that for a young player, especially, is to have a great running game,” Johnson said. “And so listen, that’s something that we are going to hang our hat on. We’ll see how well we improve upfront. I like the backs that we already have on the roster, and we can certainly look to augment that position group as well, but it’s going to start there, and it’s going to take everybody, not just those two.”

Aaron Jones named as a player to “watch” for the Bears in free agency

Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report projected where top running backs could land in free agency this offseason. Knox suggested the Bears were a team to watch for former Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones.

“The Chicago Bears could lurk as a sleeper destination,” Knox wrote. “New Bears head coach Ben Johnson knows exactly what Jones can offer after repeatedly facing him as the Detroit Lions’ offensive coordinator. Johnson could also be interested in pairing D’Andre Swift with a back like Jones to form a talented duo like the one he had with Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery in Detroit. With all due respect to Roschon Johnson, Jones would be an upgrade in Chicago’s backfield.”

Jones has had plenty of great games against the Bears, including November’s game, where he rushed for 106 yards and a touchdown and added 23 yards receiving in a 30-27 Vikings win. He has averaged 4.8 yards per carry and has scored 13 total touchdowns in his career (15 games) against Chicago.

Jones would be in the ballpark of $5-6 million per year

Knox thinks the Bears could offer Jones a two or three-year contract.

“Jones was the only running back to crack Bleacher Report’s post-regular season list of top free agents,” Knox wrote. He turned 30 in December but has a long history of high-level production and shined for the Vikings in 2024. Minnesota snapped up Jones shortly after he was replaced by Jacobs in Green Bay. He went on to rack up 1,138 rushing yards, 408 receiving yards and seven touchdowns.

“Age will be a bit of a concern, but Jones should still warrant a two- or three-year contract—likely a front-loaded deal. He has a projected market value of $5.6 million annually but shouldn’t see a significant pay cut after playing on a $7 million deal in 2024.”

Jones would be an upgrade over D’Andre Swift and Johnson if healthy. However, the 30-year-old running back has suffered a few significant knee injuries since 2021.