The Chicago Bears made several upgrades to their roster this offseason after finishing the 2024 campaign with a 5-12 record, which was good enough for last place in the NFC North.
A major focus was placed on acquiring pieces through the draft, trades, and free agency that would bolster the team's efforts on the offensive side of the ball, with former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson taking over as the Bears' new head coach.
One area the Bears failed to address, though, is the running back position. After being linked to former Boise State Broncos standout Ashton Jeanty ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft, Chicago waited until the seventh round to select Kyle Monangai out of Rutgers University.
Chicago Bears Let Perfect Veteran RB Signing Slip Through Their Fingers
The organization has sat on the sidelines while veteran rushers latch on with new teams and, now, a player pegged as a perfect fit in the Windy City has come off the board. Tuesday afternoon, reports began coming in concerning top free agent running back JK Dobbins agreeing on a deal with the Denver Broncos.
BREAKING: The #Broncos are signing RB JK Dobbins, per multiple sources.
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) June 10, 2025
The former Ohio State star had 1,058 yards from scrimmage last season with 9 TDs. pic.twitter.com/ViOzZ15S6q
Chicago-based reporters, as well as national media voices, made cases for the Bears to make a run at signing Dobbins to form a new 1-2 punch in the backfield with D'Andre Swift. Given the type of success that Johnson had in Detroit when pairing David Montgomery with Jahmyr Gibbs, pairing a back with the skill set of Dobbins with a home run threat like Swift made plenty of sense on paper.
For one reason or another, Johnson and Chicago's front office felt otherwise, as there were never any reported overtures from the Bears to Dobbins or his representation. It remains to be seen just how effective the rushing attack will be in Johnson's first year as head coach.
Johnson and Ryan Poles will look like geniuses if Swift can carry the load as the primary back. However, if Swift gets injured or is proven to be ineffective, there will be plenty of fans expressing frustrations over the team's lack of aggressiveness in the running back market.