Entering this offseason, one of the biggest question marks on the Chicago Bears roster was in the running back room. With the hiring of Ben Johnson, many fans thought the team might look to trade away D'Andre Swift. When that didn't happen, fans shifted their focus to drafting a running back.
To Bears fans' dismay, the team waited until the seventh round to draft Rutgers running back Kyle Monangai. While many fans hadn't heard of Monangai, after doing a bit of research, they became excited. So far, through the training camp and the action he saw in the first preseason game, the rookie impressed.
That said, Monangai's expected ascension up the depth chart could spell the end to another Bears running back's time in Chicago. Former fourth-round pick Roschon Johnson may end up being a surprise roster cut next week.
Roschon Johnson May Be on His Way Out of Chicago
When Chicago drafted Johnson in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft were excited for his future. The former Texas Longhorns running back was the backup for Atlanta Falcons star Bijan Robinson during his college career. Still, Johnson showed enough power and burst to get drafted.
In four seasons at Texas, the 24-year-old rushed for 2,190 yards on 392 carries, scoring 23 touchdowns and averaging 5.6 yards per carry. While he had enough speed in college to average over five yards a carry, his speed wouldn't help him much in the NFL. As a result, he would have to rely on his power and be a short-yardage back.
Chicago used him as such in his rookie year. In 2023, Johnson rushed for 352 yards on 81 carries and scored two touchdowns. He also caught 34 passes for 209 yards. Last year, the 24-year-old saw a decrease in production, rushing for 150 yards on 55 carries and scoring 6 touchdowns.
Johnson's dip in production last year was more down to the coaches not using him correctly than because of his play. Thus, Bears fans figured Ben Johnson would be to get the most out of him.
However, so far, that has yet to happen. The 24-year-old hadn't made much noise in practice. Then, prior to the first preseason game, he suffered an injury and hasn't been seen on the field since.
Although it may seem like a long shot, Johnson being cut is a real possibility because his offseason hasn't done much to show why he belongs with this new regime. If Chicago does choose to cut him next week, they will likely be monitoring the waiver wire to see what other backs get cut and pick one of the up.