The 2022 offseason is in full swing, and the Chicago Bears have plenty of needs to address. But running back doesn’t appear to be one of them. With David Montgomery and Khalil Herbert in place, the Bears are in a good position.
NFL.com examined every team’s running back situation heading into free agency and the NFL draft — those that “need help now,” those that should “acquire depth,” those where “upgrades would be bonus” and those that are “all set.”
The Bears fall in that “upgrades would be a bonus” category with Montgomery and Herbert in place. But with Tarik Cohen’s status up-in-the-air, Chicago could further solidify their running backs room this offseason, should they choose.
Between Montgomery and Herbert, the Bears have two runners who can pound out yards and churn out first downs. If new OC Luke Getsy follows the model employed by the Packers, with whom he spent the past three seasons under Matt LaFleur, expect the duo to split time. Herbert showed flashes when Montgomery was out and deserves additional carries in his second season. A platoon backfield makes sense with their early-down skill sets. The big question is whether Cohen will return after missing the entire season on IR and whether he’ll be the same shifty nuisance he was pre-injury if he does return. If not, the Bears should look to add a pass-catcher out of the backfield this offseason.
Montgomery is coming off another solid season, where he fell shy of 1,000 rushing yards after missing four games with a knee sprain earlier in the season. But it allowed Herbert time to shine in a starting role, and Chicago has a good 1-2 punch at running back.
When looking at what new offensive coordinator Luke Getsy did in Green Bay, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Montgomery and Herbert split more carries. The wild-card remains Cohen, who signed a three-year extension last year, and admitted that he’s nervous coming back from his ACL tear.
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