Chicago Bears: 5 takeaways from veteran minicamp

Jordan Howard isn’t going anywhere. In fact, get ready for a heavy dose of 24 in 2018.

How many times are we all going to wonder whether or not Jordan Howard is safe? Will he finally be traded? Is he a fit in Nagy’s offense? Will his pass-catching improve? What happened to all of his Bears-related photos on Instagram?

Howard answered all of those questions this week, putting to rest many of the rumors and worries that the fans and media have had over the last several weeks. Here’s a snapshot of a few key quotes regarding the running back this week.

When asked about his pass-catching abilities, Howard had this to say:

"“I’ve had struggles receiving. But, any time people doubt me, it just helps me improve.” -Howard"

His head coach defended him when asked about the “fit” in the new offense.

"“To sit here and say that he doesn’t fit this offense, I don’t think is very fair … Every running back has their strengths and weaknesses.” – Nagy"

Here’s the most telling answer the media received regarding Howard over the week. One reporter asked the head coach, “Is he your feature back?”  

"“Absolutely.” – Nagy"

There you go. Howard is the feature back. Can we finally put all of the nonsense to rest about how he won’t fit the scheme? This kid has done nothing but succeed in his first two years. Howard has been one of the best running backs in all of football, especially between the tackles.

The Bears have several guys who can catch passes. Nagy said this week that he will be using each player in a way that they can maximize their strengths. It’ll be up to Howard to pound the rock, get those gritty yards and put the ball into the end zone when asked to — period.