The Chicago Bears have been hard at work preparing for their first season under new head coach Ben Johnson. Expectations are high, and the hope is that he can deliver a playoff team led by quarterback Caleb Williams.
It's an understandable level of expectation, especially considering the failures of the unit in recent years. Whether or not fans are happy, this should be the norm instead of a surprise.
Despite the misunderstanding, the organization elected to sign a player with an excellent collegiate profile who could make an impact on the depth chart sooner rather than later.
The #Bears are expected to sign running back Brittain Brown, sources tell @CBSSports.
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) August 10, 2025
Was a 2022 draft pick of the Raiders and spent last year on the Seahawks’ practice squad. Posted 2,284 career rushing yards in college at a combination of UCLA and Duke. pic.twitter.com/jYBL2989IY
Bears Sign Former Raiders RB Brittain Brown During Preseason
As reported by Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports on Saturday, Chicago is signing running back Brittain Brown. The move hasn't been made official as of Monday morning, but could be confirmed by the team later in the day as the preseason opener dust settles.
Originally a seventh-round pick by the Las Vegas Raiders in the 2022 NFL Draft, Brown had a stellar career at Duke and UCLA and could provide some valuable depth at the position.
D'Andre Swift, Roschon Johnson, and Kyle Monangai have the top three spots seemingly on lock, so Brown will be competing with Travis Homer to make the roster or even the practice squad.
Brown has suited up for six games in his professional career though hasn't recorded a statistic. He burst onto the scene as a true freshman at Duke, rushing for 701 yards and seven TDs back in 2017.
The rest of his career was derailed by injuries, though he bounced back in 2021 at UCLA for 744 yards from scrimmage and seven scores. This is someone who could carve out a nice role, and it's interesting that head coach Ben Johnson found him valuable enough to sign him after the first preseason contest.
The move comes on the heels of Equanimeous St. Brown's season-ending injury, freeing a roster spot. There's no question that Brown won't see the field barring injury, yet it's wise to invest in the depth at the position if you believe in the player.
Johnson's expertise should be trusted. He had incredible success with the Detroit Lions utilizing a dual-threat approach with Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, so perhaps he can repeat that in Chicago. Swift, Johnson, and Monangai are obviously the focal points, though Brown may be an intriguing backup should he wind up making the final roster.
We'll see what happens but at this point, it's smart to leave no stone unturned. The Bears mean business, and this signing indicates just as much.