You've probably seen Bears RB Khalil Herbert's 56-yard catch-and-run TD in Saturday's preseason opener by now. But the more important note from that game was that Herbert was on the field for all seven of QB Justin Fields' snaps. RBs D'Onta Foreman and Roschon Johnson didn't play at all with the first-team offense. It's a small sample -- and Herbert obviously won't be a 100% snap rate player in the regular season. But the first glimpse we've gotten of this 2023 Bears offense has Herbert looking like the clear lead back. He's climbing our RB rankings.
The Bears' first "unofficial" depth chart lists rookie RB Roschon Johnson third. He unsurprisingly trails incumbent Khalil Herbert and veteran free-agent pickup D'Onta Foreman. Reports have had both working ahead of Johnson in training camp. An earlier version of the depth chart also had Johnson behind Trestan Ebner and Travis Homer, but Chicago corrected that. These early depth charts can often prove to hold no value, and Johnson will need to work past at least one veteran to find 2023 fantasy relevance. But he's in a decent spot considering the limited career production of Herbert and Foreman. None of the Bears' backs cracks the top 36 in our RB rankings.
ESPN's Courtney Cronin reports that RBs Khalil Herbert and D'Onta Foreman "have been involved in the passing game quite a bit" in early training-camp practices. That has included "check downs, screens, short passes," she added. Herbert has been the assumed first guy up in Chicago's backfield, so it's not a surprising report for him. It's especially noteworthy for Foreman, however. He has just 23 total receptions since entering the NFL in 2017. Rookie Roschon Johnson not making that note adds intrigue. It was reported soon after Chicago drafted him that Johnson impressed with his passing-game aptitude, including both receiving and blocking. It's early, of course. And this doesn't look like a good offense for RB target counts overall. But we'll certainly keep watching the Bears' backfield competition -- and potentially shuffling our RB rankings.
Bears RB Khalil Herbert indicated the team will utilize a backfield rotation this fall. “You know how things go in the NFL now. They’re doing things running back by committee,” Herbert said. “You need one, two, three really good guys that really carry the rock and there be no drop-off. I feel like we’ve got a really strong group. We’ve got guys who can take it to the house at any given moment. I’m excited to see what we can do.” After averaging 5.7 YPC last year, Herbert said he’s added five pounds, with a goal of playing between 215 and 220. “Just his ability to hit the home run,” HC Matt Eberflus said of Herbert's strengths. “He’s got great vision. He’s got great cut-back ability. He can take the ball outside and bounce it outside, but he’s really good at cutting it back when it’s there. We’re excited where he is.” Scan the RB rankings to see full numbers for Herbert, D'Onta Foreman, and rookie Roschon Johnson.
Bears GM Ryan Poles highlighted RB Roschon Johnson's pass-protection ability when discussing what he likes about the 4th-round rookie. Johnson allowed just eight pressures and two sacks on 160 pass-blocking snaps across four college seasons. Pass-blocking doesn't score us fantasy points, of course. But it gets a RB on the field for the all-important passing downs. Considering Khalil Herbert and D'Onta Foreman's scant pass-catching resumes, Johnson has a good chance to win a passing-down role in Chicago this season.
The Bears added RB Roschon Johnson in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Living in the shadow of Texas teammate Bijan Robinson, it’s difficult to say precisely how good Johnson is. Not only did he initially commit to Texas as a QB and change positions, but he’s the only prospect in this class we profiled who was never the leader of his college backfield. It’s tough to point to Johnson’s stats because of that, but you’ll like what you see if you dig into his film. At 6’0, 219 pounds, Johnson is a brick house with plenty of versatility. He’s an excellent pass protector, a capable receiver out of the backfield, and even matched Robinson with a 1.52-second 10-yard split. With his quick burst and well-rounded skill set, there’s an outside shot that Johnson could blossom into being a reliable depth piece on fantasy rosters with a tantalizing three-down upside at best. He joins Khalil Herbert and D’Onta Foreman in a relatively up-for-grabs backfield. Johnson is a candidate to carve out a significant role as a rookie.
The Bears signed RB D'Onta Foreman to a 1-year, $3 million deal. Foreman is coming off a nice season in Carolina, posting a career-high 914 rushing yards on 4.5 yards per carry. He ranked 26th among 42 qualifiers in Pro Football Focus' rushing grades and 21st in Elusive Rating. New backfield mate Khalil Herbert beat Foreman in both metrics, finishing 25th and 6th. We'll consider Herbert the favorite to lead Chicago's David Montgomery-less backfield in carries for now but will keep a close eye on the backfield all offseason. It's worth noting that neither Herbert nor Foreman have much pass-catching production on their resumes. The Bears also have change-of-pace types Travis Homer and Trestan Ebner on the RB depth chart. There's a chance this is a 3-man committee backfield in 2023.
Bears RB David Montgomery carried just 6 times for 24 yards in Sunday's loss to the Lions. He added 2 catches for 12 targets, with Chicago completing only 7 passes all game. It was a particularly disappointing performance for the whole offense a week after Detroit allowed 527 total yards to the Panthers. RB Khalil Herbert also factored in for 5-31 rushing. Chicago faces Minnesota in Week 18, a matchup that afforded Montgomery just 12-20-1 rushing in Week 5, but also 4 catches for 62 yards.
Bears RB Khalil Herbert (hip) will be designated to return from IR and practice this week. HC Matt Eberflus hinted last week that Herbert was on track to return for Week 16's meeting with the Bills. He averaged 9.3 carries and 54 rushing yards over his last 6 games alongside David Montgomery but totaled just 2 targets during that stretch. Herbert ranked 28th among RBs in non-PPR points across those 6 weeks; 31st in PPR. He's worth owning in most fantasy leagues -- but more as a Montgomery handcuff than Week 16 starter. Herbert's return is a slight ding to Montgomery's fantasy value.
Bears RB David Montgomery scored a TD rushing and another receiving in Sunday's loss to the Eagles. He took 12 carries for 53 yards (4.4 per rush) and caught all 3 of his targets for 38 yards. Montgomery next faces a Bills defense that got run over by Raheem Mostert on Saturday night. then comes a rematch with the Lions, who only allowed Montgomery 44 total yards on 9 carries and 1 catch in Week 10. The team expects Khalil Herbert to come off IR in Week 16, which will affect Montgomery's outlook.
Bears RB Khalil Herbert (hip) is on track to come off IR when first eligible next week. "He’s getting ready to go,” HC Matt Eberflus said Monday. “He’s been hitting his max speeds. His jumps look good, and the power in his legs look great. So, we’re excited about that." Herbert averaged 11.3 carries over his last 4 games, so he could be useful in deeper non-PPR leagues down the stretch. He, of course, is also the David Montgomery handcuff once healthy.
The Bears have placed RB Khalil Herbert on IR for the hip injury that knocked him out of Sunday's loss to the Lions. With rookie Tristan Ebner now the only other healthy RB on the roster, David Montgomery should be set up for plenty of work over at least the next 4 weeks, starting with a terrific matchup against the Falcons this week. We'll see about the expected return timeline for Herbert.
Bears RB Khalil Herbert beat David Montgomery by 1 carry and 20 yards in Sunday's 31-30 loss to the Lions. Herbert rushed 10 times for 57 yards, while Montgomery went for 37 yards on 9 attempts. Montgomery drew the only target between them, catching it for 7 yards. A Week 11 trip to Atlanta presents positive conditions for both players, though QB Justin Fields' rushing rebirth has lowered the ceiling for the RBs.
Bears RB Khalil Herbert was knocked out by a hip injury late in Sunday's loss to the Lions. We'll update his status when we know more.
Bears RB Khalil Herbert played less than half of David Montgomery's snaps in Sunday's loss to the Cowboys. But he beat the starter by 1 carry and crushed him in rushing production. Herbert took 16 carries for 99 yards and a TD (6.2 yards per rush). Montgomery carried 15 times for 53 yards (3.5). Montgomery did dominate the backfield receiving work, catching all 3 targets for 22 yards. Herbert went without a target. That's 2 straight weeks for Herbert running close to Montgomery in touches, both productive weeks for the offense. It appears we should bet on the elevated role continuing for Herbert, who looks like at least a RB3 even with Montgomery in the lineup.
Bears HC Matt Eberflus said Wednesday that he'll continue deploying a committee backfield with RBs David Montgomery and Khalil Herbert. Montgomery out-snapped Herbert just 56% to 41% in Monday night's win over the Patriots. Montgomery finished with 15 carries and 0 targets to Herbert's 12 carries and 2 targets. "We're going to continue to do that," Eberflus said. "Going to continue to use both of those guys." A committee backfield in a low-scoring offense is obviously rough for fantasy production. We're treating Montgomery as a RB3 and Herbert as a RB4 for now.
After missing Week 4 with ankle and knee injuries, Bears RB David Montgomery returned to reclaim the backfield in Sunday's loss to the Vikings. He played 36 snaps to 14 for Khalil Herbert and just 1 for rookie Trestan Ebner. Montgomery led Herbert 18-7 in routes, according to Pro Football Focus, and claimed 75% of RB rushing attempts. He gained only 20 yards on those 12 carries but scored from 9 yards out. Montgomery added a team-high 62 receiving yards on 4 catches. Only WR Darnell Mooney edged him in targets (5). TE Cole Kmet was the only other Bear to exceed 2 receptions. Herbert gained just 11 yards on 4 carries and saw 0 targets.
Bears RB David Montgomery (ankle) is active for today’s game vs. the Vikings. He got in limited practices on Thursday and Friday after missing Week 4. We’re projecting Montgomery to return as Chicago’s lead back, but he carries more risk than usual coming off the ankle injury.
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