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Bears Offense Banking on Blast from the Past for Injury Relief

An assortment of injuries the past few years and the rise of Kyle Monangai pushed Roschon Johnson into the background but now his power game is needed.
Gene Chamberlain|
Roschon Johnson plows ahead against Tennessee in preseason play.
Roschon Johnson plows ahead against Tennessee in preseason play. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Chicago Bears

Facing second-and-7 at the Jets 14-yard line early in the fourth quarter last week, Ben Johnson turned to someone dating back to Year 2 of the Matt Eberflus era to carry the football.

At one time, Bears fans had hopes Roschon Johnson might become a great draft find, a battering ram type of back who had been hidden at Texas behind Bijan Robinson. Instead, after a promising start, little happened for the fourth-round pick other than special teams and injured reserve.

Now Ben Johnson's offense will look more to Roschon Johnson to help D'Andre Swift against the Packers Sunday at Lambeau Field after Kyle Monangai's toe injury.

“I was really pleased with what he looked like in camp," the Bears coach said about Roschon Johnson. "He was one of those guys that we just hadn't seen a lot of because of the injury history, and yet since he's been healthy, he runs hard.

"I think that showed up again last week when he got the ball in his hands, put his foot in the ground and got north and south right away."

Roschon Johnson gained 11 yards on that second-and-7 run and it opened some eyes as a blast from the past.

Johnson did this type of thing often in 2023, averaging 4.3 yards per carry when he came in as an alternative ball carrier to D'Onta Foreman or Khalil Herbert, or even Justin Fields. The Bears then made him into their short-yardage back but he had shown a skill set to indicate he could do what Foreman was doing at the very least.

The injuries have been his issue, as Johnson made only six rushing attempts since the 2024 season. He had a concussion in the 2024 Thanksgiving Day game at Detroit, Matt Eberflus' final one as coach. In Ben Johnson's first season Roschon Johnson suffered a training camp foot injury. Camp isn't the time to have an injury when there is a new head coach. Then he had a back injury and finally a season-ending thumb injury.

A different type of power back

Ben Johnson sees the possible value, although he just about has no other choice at this point.

"Bigger body than the other guys in that room," Johnson said of the 6-foot, 227-pounder.

The Bears coach made 232-pound David Montgomery work well in his former offense at Detroit.

"I think he's a complete back," Ben Johnson said. "He can run hard in between the tackles. I think he's got enough speed to get to the perimeter. He catches the ball well out of the backfield, and then because of his size, I think he's an asset in pass protection as well.

"He can do a little bit of everything, which we really value at that spot.”

The Bears have also seen a willingness to work at any role. Johnson has been a special teams regular. The short-yardage role he was given by Eberflus in 2024 after Swift signed with the Bears might have actually been beneath what he had proven he could do. After all, as a rookie he had 124 yards after contact of the 351 gained.

Johnson's 2.7-yard average in 2024 wasn't the sign of someone struggling to get going as much as it was being handed the ball in short-yardage or goal-line situations so often. He had six touchdown runs to tie Swift for the team lead despite making 198 fewer rushing attempts. Of his 55 runs that year, 23 went for first downs or touchdowns.

What the Bears won't get from Johnson is that sudden, quick burst Monangai has shown. It's sometimes as if Monangai is launched like a rocket after a step or two, but Johnson actually was a faster back over the course of the 40-yard dash than Monangai coming out of college. Johnson ran 4.58 in the 40 and Monangai 4.6. It's the first few steps where Monangai has a huge edge.

The blocking scheme might need to be a bit different to get Johnson going consistently.

What the Bears really hope is they can get a complete game from Swift without turnovers. His second fumble in four games is alarming. The first one helped cost them the game against Minnesota since it came as they were going in at the 1-yard line in a 9-3 loss. It was every bit as huge as the blocked chip-shot field goal they had later.

Coming out of training camp there was a lot of talk about running back Salvon Ahmed making an impact because he made a few runs in preseason. It's possible he could be activated from the practice squad.

However, his skill set is not really what they need to replace Monangai. The power aspect is missing with the 196-pound Ahmed. In fact, they had someone closer to Monangai's skill set with Brittain Brown, but he is on injured reserve.

Brown provided ideal relief production for Monangai during the wild 47-42 win over the Bengals, a game Swift missed with an injury. Brown had a touchdown and 37 yards total on five carries in that game.

As Brown or Monangai indicate, it's a physical sport and running back might be the most physical position of all considering the speed and angles involved in contact.

That's all in Johnson's past now, and the Bears are hoping he'll be the healthy, power back GM Ryan Poles anticipated coming out of the 2023 draft.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.

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