The Bears have already shown what Ben Johnson seems to want from his backfield: two backs who can handle the heavy lifting, with everyone else mostly on the periphery. Last season, that formula eventually clicked. Kyle Monangai’s rise gave Chicago the kind of balance Johnson liked when he was calling plays for the Detroit Lions, and D’Andre Swift responded with the best season of his career in a role that fit him.
The rest of the Bears’ running backs barely factored in. Outside of Swift and Monangai, Chicago’s backs combined for just eight carries last season.
That kind of usage lines up with Johnson’s track record, too. In his three years as Detroit’s offensive coordinator, running backs beyond the top two on the depth chart totaled 66 carries in 2022, 48 in 2023 and 43 in 2024.
So when Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay floated four running backs teams should pursue by trade as training camps open, it was a little surprising to see Chicago linked to Arizona’s James Conner.
Kay called the Bears “a sensible suitor” for the nine-year veteran, arguing they need “one more proven piece to their backfield to truly feel comfortable about it in 2026.” He pointed to the fact that Chicago didn’t add depth behind Swift and Monangai in free agency or the draft, leaving Roschon Johnson in the RB3 spot heading into camp.
“Conner represents a massive upgrade in that spot while carrying a modest $4.8 million cap hit. Adding him and his team-friendly deal would allow the Bears to rotate three strong running backs who can grind down defenses and stave off their own wear-and-tear.”
There’s no question Conner brings production. The 31-year-old is the easiest odd-man out in a Cardinals backfield that has a lot of resources tied up at the position, and before an ankle injury wiped out all but three games of his 2024 season, he had topped 1,000 rushing yards and scored at least seven touchdowns on the ground in back-to-back years.
Still, the fit in Chicago is awkward on paper. The Bears could offer Conner a real role in a rotation, but that role would only grow if Swift or Monangai missed time. And for a No. 3 running back, even a “modest” $4.8 million cap hit starts to look pretty steep.
That’s why it’s tough to see the Bears and Conner as a clean match unless an injury changes the conversation and pushes general manager Ryan Poles in that direction.
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