TreVeyon Henderson shows why Chicago Bears were so high on him in NFL debut

Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles pulled a surprise move in the 2025 NFL Draft when he waited until the seventh round to select a running back. Considered a high-ranking draft need, the Bears were projected to be in the mix for a first or second-round rusher. So when Days 1 and 2 ended without any competition for D'Andre Swift, Bears Nation was... confused.

Not long after the 2025 draft concluded, we learned that Poles and the Bears had their hearts set on former Ohio State star TreVeyon Henderson as their target in the second round. But when the New England Patriots selected him just a few spots before Chicago was on the clock, the running back can was kicked down the draft board.

We got a glimpse of why the Chicago Bears were so high on Henderson during his NFL debut on Friday night.

TreVeyon Henderson's first pro touch resulted in a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, and he added several other highlight-worthy plays throughout his reps with the first team.

Henderson was compared to Jahmyr Gibbs during the run-up to the 2025 NFL Draft. The explosive burst he displayed on that kickoff return is why.

He also gashed the Washington Commanders on this outside run, which is the kind of play that would've looked awfully nice in in a Bears uniform.

TreVeyon Henderson wasn't finished. He flashed his receiving chops and better than expected power on a reception in which he nearkly knocked out a Commanders defender.

Yep. It's easy to see why the Chicago Bears wanted this dude. He's a true three-down back with game-breaking upside.

We'll get our first look at the running back the Bears did draft, Kyle Monangai, in Sunday's preseason opener against the Miami Dolphins.