After earning their first win of the season, the Chicago Bears are focused on taking the next step. The Bears looked like a team that was capable of doing so against the Dallas Cowboys as quarterback Caleb Williams threw for 298 yards and four touchdowns.
This was the type of progress Bears fans expected to see under new head coach Ben Johnson, and it could have them as buyers ahead of the NFL trade deadline. But as great as that performance was, there's always room for improvement on offense.
The biggest outlier in Week 3 was the running game, which produced just 87 yards on 29 carries in the win over the Cowboys. As the season already approaches the quarter mark, the Bears will be looking to address their deficiencies, and if they want to give their backfield a boost, there's a good chance that shake-up is on the horizon.
Bears Trading for an RB Looks Likelier as October Looms
The running game was one of Johnson’s staples during his three seasons as the offensive coordinator of the Detroit Lions. The Lions finished fifth with 6,978 yards during those three seasons and seventh with 4.6 yards per carry during those three seasons, and the numbers are even more impressive when you consider the teams ahead of them — including the Baltimore Ravens (Lamar Jackson) and Philadelphia Eagles (Jalen Hurts) — had running quarterbacks that bolstered their rushing totals.
Through three games, that aspect of Johnson’s offense hasn’t shown up. The Bears rank 12th in the NFL with 82 rushing attempts, but they’re just 15th with 340 rushing yards and 18th with 4.1 yards per carry. RB D’Andre Swift has led the way with 42 carries for Chicago, but he’s averaging just 3.5 yards per carry and hasn’t been much of a factor even while adding nine catches for 63 yards.
Rookie running back Kyle Monangai hasn’t been much better, logging 44 yards on 13 attempts, whereas Roschon Johnson has been completely phased out as he has yet to register an attempt this season.
Outside of production, the Bears also need someone who can help in pass protection. While Williams’s sack rate dropped from 10.79% in his rookie season to 6.06% in the first three games, Bears running backs haven’t been part of the cause outside of Swift’s 82.6 pass-blocking grade on 19 snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.
By contrast, Monangai has been a massive disappointment, posting a 12.1 grade and allowing two pressures on six pass-blocking snaps over the past three games. Activating Johnson may not be part of the solution after he allowed nine pressures with a sack on 57 pass-blocking snaps last year, and it could have the Bears diving into the trade market.
Travis Etienne is one player the Bears could look to add as he’s racked up 270 yards, a touchdown, and 5.9 yards per carry in the first three games for the Jacksonville Jaguars. He also would be an improvement in pass protection as he hasn’t allowed a pressure on 15 pass-blocking attempts this season, but he’s currently not under contract beyond 2025.
Alvin Kamara of the New Orleans Saints is another possibility, but with 3.7 yards per carry and his age (30), he may not be what the Bears are looking for. Jerome Ford of the Cleveland Browns is younger (26) and has a 76.3 grade on 16 pass-blocking snaps, but he has just 3.3 yards per carry this season and is a free agent at the end of the year. Then there is Breece Hall of the New York Jets, who has 157 yards on 38 carries, but also is a free agent when the season ends.
While they could ride out Swift for the rest of the season, the Bears have giant expectations that could lead general manager Ryan Poles to make a splash before November. Each game brings more pressure to make a move, and only time will tell how long it'll be before Poles has no choice but to pick up the phone.