Salvon Ahmed is battling for his own future with the Chicago Bears. In the run-up to the preseason matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday, several Bears players are fighting for their right to play with the starting lineup. In the wake of Kyle Monangai's injury, Ahmed now has an opportunity to step up as the second half of the Bears' one-two punch in the running game. He's a name to watch for this game, as he attempts to secure his role with the team.
The Bears enjoyed thorough success with their run game in 2025. They finished the season with the third highest average rushing yards per game, with 144.5. Ben Johnson is well known for his philosophy when it comes to running backs, and that makes the second running back spot just as important as the first. While D'Andre Swift remains the anchor in the room, at the moment, the backup spot is up for grabs.
Salvon Ahmed’s opportunity comes at Roschon Johnson’s expense
Roschon Johnson was selected by Ryan Poles and the Bears in the fourth round of the 2023 Draft. His first two seasons with the Bears saw significant playing time, but the advent of Kyle Monangai in 2025 changed everything for him. Johnson's playing time saw a step back to being active for seven games, and in those seven games, he only recorded two carries for seventeen yards. It's very difficult to be the third string guy in any position. You hardly get opportunities to prove yourself.
Monangai taking the spot from Johnson wasn't exactly unforeseen. They drafted Monangai despite having Johnson on the roster, and then subsequently awarded Monangai that same spot.
The Bears brought in Ahmed for depth, and he quickly displayed his skills in the first preseason game against the Browns. This kind of competition is exactly what they want. But it also displays a concerning pattern that may not have been seen until now.
This marks the second time that they've brought in competition and Johnson has been beaten. Given that this is the final year of Johnson's rookie contract, it's very possible that the Bears are intending to give Johnson the opportunities he's owed, and that will be that. The likelihood of a second contract with the Bears is easily nonexistent.
But that makes this opportunity with the Bears all the more important for Ahmed. He's in Chicago on a one year deal, and given the uncertainty in the future of the Bears running backs, this could be a real chance for him at holding down a spot on an NFL roster.
Swift is obviously the Bears' guy. But he's on the last year of his contract, too, and though rumors of extension have been whispered here and there, nothing substantial has been announced. It's possible that the Bears intend to wait and see, and potentially move forward with Monangai as their top back of the future. If that's the case, then Ahmed may truly be fighting for more than just a single season roster spot.
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