With the Super Bowl in the books and the confetti still settling, the Chicago Bears are already shifting gears toward 2026. After a season that saw them capture their first NFC North title since 2018 and notch their first playoff win since 2010, there’s genuine optimism in the Windy City. But now comes the hard part: building on that success and pushing further into contender territory.
One area the Bears are eyeing for improvement? The ground game.
That might sound odd at first glance-after all, they ranked third in the league with 144.5 rushing yards per game. But when the lights got brighter in the playoffs, the run game didn’t quite hold up its end of the bargain.
Head coach Ben Johnson acknowledged as much, and that’s the kind of self-awareness that often leads to meaningful tweaks in the offseason.
Enter the Kenneth Walker buzz.
Former Bears wideout Allen Robinson recently stirred the pot, floating the idea of Chicago making a run at the Super Bowl MVP in free agency. Speaking on the Bet MGM Tonight Podcast, Robinson painted a compelling picture: “Ben Johnson loves the run game and being able to have a two-headed monster in the backfield,” he said. “Not to mention being able to lure one of the better players in the NFC from the Super Bowl champion to your team.”
On paper, it makes sense. Walker just capped off a dominant postseason with a 27-carry, 135-yard performance in the Super Bowl, helping the Seahawks take down the Patriots 29-13.
He didn’t find the end zone that night, but his impact was undeniable-and enough to earn him MVP honors. Across the three playoff games, Walker racked up 313 rushing yards, four touchdowns, and chipped in nine receptions for 104 yards.
That’s the kind of production that turns heads and drives up price tags.
And that’s where things get tricky for Chicago.
Sure, the Bears would love to slot a player like Walker into their offense. He’s explosive, durable, and proven on the biggest stage.
But after that playoff run, he’s not just a hot commodity-he might be the commodity at running back this offseason. Spotrac projects his next deal could top $9 million annually, and with multiple teams likely to be in the mix, that figure could climb even higher.
Meanwhile, the Bears already have a pretty strong backfield duo in place. D’Andre Swift had a career year in 2025, rushing for 1,087 yards and nine touchdowns.
He’s entering the final year of his contract with a cap hit of $8.8 million. Kyle Monangai, a cost-effective option at just over $1 million against the cap, added 783 yards and five scores of his own.
While his production dipped late in the season-averaging just 4.0 yards per carry over the final five regular-season games and 3.0 in the playoffs-he still provided solid value as a complementary piece.
Adding Walker would mean reshuffling that backfield, and potentially moving on from either Swift or Monangai. That’s a tough ask, especially when you consider the other priorities on Chicago’s offseason checklist.
The Bears have holes to fill, particularly on defense. The pass rush needs reinforcements.
Veteran safety Kevin Byard is set to hit free agency and will need to be re-signed or replaced. And the wide receiver room could look very different if the team finds a trade partner for DJ Moore.
Those are pressing needs that might take precedence over adding another high-priced running back.
So while the idea of Kenneth Walker in navy and orange is certainly enticing-and Robinson’s vision of a two-headed monster in the backfield is easy to buy into-the reality is that it’s probably not in the cards for 2026. The Bears have a solid rushing attack already, and with more urgent needs elsewhere, it’s more likely they’ll look to the draft or future offseasons to bolster the position.
For now, the Kenneth Walker-to-Chicago chatter feels more like a fun offseason fantasy than a feasible plan.