The Chicago Bears are building something special with head coach Ben Johnson and franchise quarterback Caleb Williams leading the charge. While seeing Williams air the ball out is what fans love to see, the Bears have a dominant ground attack that helps give them one of the NFL's most well-rounded offenses.
Last season, D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai led the charge for this team, but that shouldn't stop Chicago from adding more playmakers to that room. And that's why the Bears should get involved in the Najee Harris sweepstakes.
According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Harris will meet with the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday, April 2. And before that takes place, Chicago should get involved.
Bears Should Pursue Najee Harris Before He Meets with Raiders
Harris is now six months removed from a torn Achilles after suffering the injury against the Denver Broncos in September. It looks like his rehab has gone well, though, as agent Doug Hendrickson posted a video of Harris running near full speed on the treadmill on March 23.
And with the regular season still six months away, it looks like he'll be ready to roll when the season starts.
The Bears duo of Swift and Monangai was very effective in 2025, ranking third in rushing offense (144.5). Both players had 780-plus rushing yards and five-plus rushing scores. Chicago plans to run it back with the duo, but behind them, Roschon Johnson, Deion Hankins, and Brittain Brown will battle for the RB3 spot. With that said, one of them is better than what Harris could provide.
In five seasons with the Steelers and Chargers, Harris has racked up 4,373 rushing yards and 28 rushing scores. As a pass-catcher, he has 1,174 receiving yards and six scores. Before his injury last season, Harris logged 1,000-plus rushing yards from 2021 to 2024.
The Bears wouldn't need him to be their top RB, but having him in the backfield would stabilize the position group.
Adding Harris would also give the Bears a fallback option if Monangai hits a sophomore wall. It's always hard to know what to expect from a former seventh-rounder in Year 2. Meanwhile, Harris is more of a downhill thumper who complements Swift's running style. His experience as a starter would also help him fit in with the Bears, who ranked fourth in the NFL in carries (505) last season.
Considering that Harris is coming off a significant injury, his price tag will be lower. Spotrac projects him to sign a one-year, $2.9 million contract, which is very reasonable. The Bears have way more to offer than a Raiders team that is in a rebuilding phase, and if they step into the sweepstakes, they could likely convince him to come to the Windy City.
Injuries can always happen, making adding Harris as a depth piece a wise move for Bears general manager Ryan Poles to consider in the coming days.