After Ben Johnson was hired as head coach, the Chicago Bears were expected to pursue a standout running back. However, the Bears’ running back room looks largely the same after the 2025 NFL Draft.
The only major addition was seventh-round pick Kyle Monangai. Despite going in the final round, Monangai has earned plenty of hype, being compared to players such as David Montgomery and Isiah Pacheco. Perhaps the Bears have found a diamond in the rough, but it seems unlikely Monangai will massively change Chicago’s run game on his own.
With the draft now in the rearview and the free agent market picked through, the Bears may be unable to land the impact runner fans were expecting. In terms of free agency, Dan Graziano of ESPN credits the lack of top flight options as to why the Bears haven’t made a move.
“However, the 2025 free agent RB class was not on the same level. Only Ty Johnson (Buffalo) and Samaje Perine (Cincinnati) got two-year deals; everyone else got a one-year contract. The biggest deal was the one-year, $5.25 million deal that Najee Harris signed with the Chargers,” Graziano wrote. “In the Bears’ estimation, free agency didn’t offer them the chance to build out a lethal Montgomery/Gibbs-style pairing, and after Jeanty, neither did the first round of the draft.”
Once Ashton Jeanty went at No. 6, Chicago’s first-round running back draft plans were dashed. Then, TreVeyon Henderson went one pick before them in the NFL Draft. That cycle happened continuously, with seemingly the Bears’ top target going mere picks before their selection. Ryan Poles and company decided to let the board play out rather than force the issue.
But that doesn’t mean Chicago will struggle completely on offense. They landed two impact pass catchers in the first two round of the draft. Furthermore, the Bears massively bolstered their offensive line, adding three new interior players. While it seems likely the team will still consider adding to their running back room, Graziano notes that the offense at large could improve itself on its own.
“There’s also more than one way to build a reliably explosive Ben Johnson offense, and the early-round additions of Loveland and Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden III to an already strong group of Bears pass catchers offer plenty of reason to get excited about Caleb Williams’ options in the pass game,” Graziano wrote.
“The offensive line changes should benefit Swift, too,” he concluded. “There are still some interesting running backs sitting out there on the free agent market, but with only one football to go around, it feels like Bears fans maybe shouldn’t be getting greedy.”
State of Chicago Bears running back room
With so many versatile pass catchers on the offense, it may be difficult to give a running back the lion’s share of offensive touches. However, if Chicago is truly planning on entering the year as their running back room is currently constructed, Johnson and company will be expecting each member to take a step forward.
D’Andre Swift is poised to retain his RB1 role. His debut in Chicago saw him earn a career-high 253 carries, gaining 959 yards and six touchdowns. Swift has experience working under Johnson and has shown he can be a playmaker in space. However, he must average more than 3.8 yards per carry to be Johnson’s lead running back.
Behind him is Roschon Johnson, who tied the team-lead with six rushing touchdowns in 2024. However, he had just 55 carries and 150 yards total. Johnson did average 4.3 YPC as a rookie, turning 81 carries into 352 yards and two touchdowns. Furthermore, the running back has general manager Ryan Poles’ support. However, the 2025 season will be a true make-or-break season for Johnson. As it stands, his ceiling looks to be merely a backup.
Monangai will have an opportunity to make a difference with a strong training camp. He ran for 3,222 yards and 27 touchdowns over his five years with Rutgers. While Travis Homer is more a special teams guy, former undrafted free agent Ian Wheeler may be given an opportunity after his rookie season was wiped out due to injury.
If the Bears were to make an addition, each player’s role would change as someone listed above would be cut. But as Johnson begins crafting his Chicago vision, perhaps he likes what he sees in the running back room.
