Could Ashton Jeanty be Ben Johnson's Jahmyr Gibbs with the Chicago Bears?

When the Detroit Lions drafted Alabama running back Jahmyr Gibbs with the 12th pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, the general consensus around the league was, “Wait, what?”

The Lions were coming off a 9-8 2022 season, a campaign that ended with the team winning eight of their last ten games. The offensive backfield was key to their jet-propelled attack, as the two-headed running back monster of Jamaal Williams and D’Andre Swift combined for 1,608 yards and 22 touchdowns.

So why did Detroit draft a running back when their offense was humming and they needed help at both defensive tackle and linebacker?

The simple answer: Because.

That’ll Show ‘Em

The Lions soon moved on from Swift and Williams and signed former Chicago Bears RB David Montgomery, which led to a Gibbs/Monty duo (or a Sonic/Knuckles duo) that, in 2024, combined for 3,045 all-purpose yards and 32 all-purpose touchdowns.

And this all happened under Ben Johnson’s watch.

Less Than Swift

On March 13, 2024, the Chicago Bears signed the aforementioned Swift to a three-year deal worth $24.5 million, then promptly assumed they were set at running back.

They weren’t.

In his first season in Chicago, Swift managed just 959 rushing yards, 18th in the league. His inconsistency directly correlated with quarterback Caleb Williams’ struggles, as the rookie had no reliable pressure-relieving running game.

New Bears headman Johnson should not be cool with those numbers, which is why he needs to defy expectations and convince Bears GM Ryan Poles to use Chicago's first round draft pick on college football’s best running back, Ashton Jeanty.

Video Game Numbers

In 2024, the Boise State speedster racked up 2,601 yards on the ground to go with his 29 rushing touchdowns, numbers that could be easily and fairly construed as generational. For Johnson, pairing a (theoretically) generational running back with a (theoretically) generational quarterback in Caleb Williams might be pretty darn tasty.

This against-the-grain dual-RB1 backfield timeshare approach worked in Michigan. With Johnson at the helm, there’s no reason to think it wouldn’t successfully travel down to Illinois.