Roschon Johnson may not be the first name anyone circles when talking about the Bears’ offense, but the team clearly has reason to keep him in the mix.
Chicago’s 2025 offense had plenty of obvious firepower. The line brought All-Pros and Pro Bowlers.
The receiver group had young, explosive playmakers. Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet gave Ben Johnson plenty of flexibility.
And in the backfield, D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai powered the Bears to the No. 3 rushing attack in the NFL last season.
That kind of setup can make a player like Roschon Johnson easy to overlook. But the former fourth-round pick out of Texas, drafted in 2023, made the 53-man roster as the team’s third running back after beating out Salvon Ahmed, who went back to the practice squad.
Roschon’s stat line from last season does not jump off the page. He played in seven games, carried the ball two times for 17 yards, and spent most of his time on special teams, where he logged 102 snaps. Even so, the Bears have not written him off.
Press Taylor said Thursday that the veteran back “had a great finish to camp” and is “somebody that earned a lot of trust through the last couple of weeks.”
A big reason he got more chances this summer was the competition for the No. 3 running back job, along with Monangai’s knee injury, which opened the door for more reps. Roschon took advantage of that opportunity and did enough to stick.
Taylor also said Roschon could handle a bigger offensive workload if the Bears needed him to, while still doing his special teams work.
That matters for a team that saw good health in the backfield last season. Swift missed only one game, and Monangai played all 17 as a rookie. But injuries can change the picture fast, and Chicago needs a back it can trust if the depth chart gets tested.
Roschon already showed the staff he can do his part. The next step is proving he can help keep the run game moving if his number comes up alongside Caleb Williams and the starters.
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