The Chicago Bears have completed their second preseason game of the year, and with it came the first glimpse at Ben Johnson's year two offense. Roschon Johnson and Salvon Ahmed are engaged in a preseason battle for the third running back spot. With Kyle Monangai out of practice now due to a knee injury, the third running back is expected to stand in behind D'Andre Swift.
After the first preseason game against the Browns where Ahmed delivered an excellent performance, Johnson has clapped back with an excellent performance of his own. While many Bears starters suited up on Saturday, Swift wasn't one of them, leaving the door open for Johnson and Ahmed to spread out and show their skills.
Roschon Johnson is not surrendering his spot without a fight
Similar to Ahmed in the matchup against the Browns, this time it was Johnson who received more carries. While Ahmed was efficient and produced 36 yards on only six carries, Johnson was handed the ball twelve times and produced 42 yards.
It's a good start for the potential third stringers, but if they're to stand in for Kyle Monangai, they'll need to show more production on the ball. Head coach Ben Johnson has been crystal clear about his ambitions to have the highest scoring offense of all time. On top of that, the Bears produced the third most rushing yards per game in 2025, a tall order to repeat.
Almost always, the third string running back is an active part of the special teams units. This is an area that has caught Ben Johnson's eye in the case of Roschon Johnson.
"Yeah, I think he flashed the other day, in particular on special teams, we keep talking about that and the importance of being the number three running back or depth in the running back room and being able to bring that to the table. And so he had a couple really, really nice plays in the practice. Can't wait to see what it looked like today on the game tape"Ben Johnson
53 players is a lot of players, especially when only eleven of them are on the field at a time. But when you stack each individual position next to each other, and then add in the players that are kept for their depth in their respective positions, it can add up quickly. That's why it's so important for all the players that make the final cut of the 53-man roster to contribute in any way that they can.
Johnson's ability on special teams is obviously something that coach Johnson has noticed, and it may even become the deciding factor on whether he's the one making the cut or not. That's not to take away from Ahmed's skills in the same department, only we haven't gotten any public remarks from the coach about them.
All in all, this decision will come down to far more than we see on any stat sheet or any broadcast. It's a decision that will be made with much dedication and aptitude. If Ben Johnson is to be trusted, then we can have faith that they'll make the right choice for the Bears moving forward. He's not led us wrong yet.
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