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Bears' Odds to Sign Saquon Barkley See Massive Shift

The Chicago Bears are currently listed as the favorite to sign Saquon Barkley, who would be a massive addition to their offense.

By Jovan Alford

Jan 7, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley (26)
Jan 7, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley (26) / Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
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With the legal tampering period set to begin on Monday at noon ET, we should expect to see a lot of premier free agents sign with their new teams. One position group that most fans will have their eyes on is running backs, which is loaded with top-tier free agents such as Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs, Austin Ekeler, etc.

Barkley has been the topic of discussion over the last week since the Giants decided to not give the franchise tag, making him an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career. There will be numerous teams interested in the star running back. However, the oddsmakers see an NFC North team signing the 27-year-old running back.

Saquon Barkley Next Team Odds: Bears Favorite to Land Star Running Back

Among all the teams that could be interested in Barkley, the Bears are the favorites to bring him to the Windy City (+200), according to DraftKings Sportsbook. 

It’s not a surprise to see Chicago listed as the favorite, as ESPN’s Jordan Raanan reported on Sunday that the Bears, Los Angeles Chargers, and Baltimore Ravens are “believed to be serious suitors” for Barkley.

The Bears do not have a No. 1 running back on their roster after rolling with the trio of D’Onta Foreman, Khalil Herbert, and Roschon Johnson. Foreman is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent, while Herbert and Johnson ran for 611 and 352 yards, respectively.

Barkley by himself would be a massive upgrade over the running back by committee system that the Bears rolled out in 2023. The former Penn State star running back took a slight step back on the ground this past season, rushing for 962 yards and six touchdowns. However, he had 41 receptions (60 targets) for 280 receiving yards and four touchdowns.

If the Bears decide to take Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick, it would be in Chicago’s best to give Williams as much talent as possible. Chicago is currently +330 on DraftKings to win the NFC North in 2024. However, if the Bears signed Barkley, their odds would quickly shorten.

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