The Chicago Bears felt good about their running back room this time last week as, despite injuries to Roschon Johnson and Travis Homer, GM Ryan Poles praised 2025 seventh-round pick Kyle Monangai during a radio appearance.
While Poles did not rule out Monangai potentially being the No. 2 option behind DeAndre Swift on the depth chart, the franchise is not willing to bank on a rookie being the player who is one snap away from being placed into a situation where he's the most depended upon back on the roster.
That could still be the role the former Rutgers University standout finds himself laying claim to, but the front office added a veteran to the fold on Wednesday. According to Zack Pearson of 247Sports, Chicago has signed veteran RB Royce Freeman to the roster and placed Deion Hankins on the IR.
The #Bears have signed RB Royce Freeman and have placed RB Deion Hankins on injured reserve.
— Zack Pearson (@Zack_Pearson) August 20, 2025
Bears Bring Back RB Royce Freeman to Plug Hole Left by Injuries
Going back to the 2022 season, Freeman has only appeared in 18 of a possible 36 total games, recording 436 rushing yards and two total touchdowns. With just 471 carries to his name, the former Oregon Ducks standout should have fresher legs than some of his peers still looking for a job at this stage of the preseason.
While Freeman is familiar with the Windy City, this is a brand-new regime he is walking into, as Ben Johnson has fundamentally changed what the Bears' offensive attack will look like. How quickly Freeman can acclimate himself to the new system will go a long way toward determining just how long he is a member of Chicago's roster.
With Friday night's showdown at Arrowhead Field on the horizon, it will be important for Freeman to show he has a baseline understanding of what the Bears are looking to do when in possession of the ball. If he can do that and string together a solid showing to prove he still has plenty left in the tank, Freeman could wind up sticking around Chicago a little longer than anticipated.