Although the expectation was that they would do it much sooner, the Chicago Bears did add a running back in the 2025 NFL draft using a seventh-round pick on Kyle Monangai out of Rutgers.
Heading into the draft, there were plenty of rumors that Chicago could be interested in adding Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty in the first round, but he went to the Las Vegas Raiders with the sixth overall pick (and the Bears selected tight end Colston Loveland at 10th overall).
With all the additions and changes the Bears made to their offensive line, many believed they’d bring in another running back to either compete with D’Andre Swift as the lead back, or create a dynamic duo. Part of new head coach Ben Johnson’s success in Detroit was when he brought in Jahmyr Gibbs to complement David Montgomery and form one of the best running back duos in the league, and there was speculation that he’d bring that to Chicago.
Adding just Monangai in the draft, as late as they did, brings up the question: Does the Bears regime, led by general manager Ryan Poles, have a different plan in place at running back?
Perhaps it’s free agent running back Nick Chubb, who hit free agency this offseason after spending his entire career with the Cleveland Browns, who just drafted two new running backs. Recovering from a serious knee injury he suffered in the 2023 season, Chubb returned late in 2024, playing in eight games and rushing for 332 yards and three touchdowns.
Due to the injury he had in 2023, Chubb has played a combined 10 games over the last two seasons. That lack of availability could scare teams off in free agency, which is why Chubb is still on the market, and that could be most beneficial for Chicago.
Chubb’s known for his bruising style of running, which would help give the Bears the type of power-speed combo that Johnson had with Gibbs and Montgomery in Detroit. Pairing Chubb with Swift would give the Bears two veteran backs who have different run styles and could help recreate the running attack in Chicago behind quarterback Caleb Williams, a rebuilt offensive line, and a very different looking offense than last year.
Having two veterans doesn’t bring all the allure that the fanbase was expecting in getting a young dynamic back in Jeanty, or one of the other top rookies in this year’s class (especially as they reportedly pushed hard to trade up for TreVeyon Henderson), but the run game may not be the full focus this year. After adding two more pass catching threats in the early stages of the draft, it’s obvious that the Bears want to bring in as many weapons for Williams and take his development to another level in his second season.
Chubb has name value, but his injury history more than likely hurts his likelihood of a big contract, and with Chicago being limited in cap space, they’d have to get creative to bring him in. There’s already been speculation out of Cleveland that Chubb will be not be returning and that he could be targeted by a NFC North team, and the team that makes the most sense is the Bears.
