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Chicago Bears Viewed as Future Home for Running Back Jonathan Taylor

A trade for the Colts running back is foreseen for GM Ryan Poles, and while there are good reasons, is it truly realistic?
Gene Chamberlain|
Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor eludes former Bears safety Jaquan Brisker.
Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor eludes former Bears safety Jaquan Brisker. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

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Chicago Bears

Running back situations for teams in the NFL can be fragile.

One day there is the Detroit duo of Sonic and Knuckles, and suddenly Knuckles — aka David Montgomery — is replaced by Isiah Pacheco.

The Bears last year were the only team in the league with two running backs who finished in the top 25 in rushing. They'll try it again with D'Andre Swift's swift style and Kyle Monangai's helmet-shattering bursts. It doesn't mean they'll even finish the season this way in a league where running backs seem to get tossed out with the trash or wind up injured every week.

In writing his 10 predictions for the coming NFL season on Wednesday, ESPN's Ben Solak sees the Bears lining up this year with no less a backfield change than Colts running back Jonathan Taylor coming to Chicago via trade. This is a player Solak, and many others, think should have won offensive player of the year in 2025.

Solak maintains the Bears "make perfect sense" as a trade partner for the Colts in this case.

"D'Andre Swift had a strong 2025 season, but he has not been reliable and has dealt with injuries for much of his career," Solak wrote.

It was Swift's best year in rushing yards with 1,087, although it was his worst year for receptions with 34. Players coming off their best season in Year 6 normally would be expected to take a step back the next season. Swift hasn't really had many injury issues since he was in Detroit, but did fight through a groin problem last year with only one missed game.

Monangai isn't viewed by Solak as a back who is capable of being an every down player.

"Kyle Monangai is a likable thumper but not for more than 10 or so carries per game," he wrote.

Monangai isn't big and was involved in some of the most violent collisions last year, although in most cases he delivered the punishment. This 10 carries is an arbitrary number but his point is well taken. Small guys in big crashes in the NFL don't usually last for long.

This deal isn't something to expect any time soon. Solak believes the Bears "...might be fishing at the (November trade) deadline for a field-tipping running back to give them an additional edge."

If the Bears lost a back, their roster options after Monangai and Swift are like a blind draw between underachieving Roschon Johnson or small, fast players who are fringe NFL running backs. It would make sense to trade for a back in that case.

Johnson ran a 4.58 40 and Monangai 4.6, so the speed element could vanish if they had to rely on someone other than Swift. Salvon Ahmed, Coleman Bennett and Brittain Brown are their other options. Bennett was undrafted, Brown has been around as a practice squad player and Ahmed has been in the league six years with a 3.6-yard career rushing average.

Besides all of that, any team would be interested in a back as good as Taylor. What doesn't make sense is why the Colts would trade him.

Solak ties it to how the Colts collapsed last year without Daniel Jones. It turned out Jones — and not Taylor — was the key to their offense. He doesn't see Jones necessarily being ready to start the season and the Colts struggling with a predictable attack again, so they'd be willing to trade.

More than anything, though, he's looking at the contract situation and how it's a contract year for Taylor. Not only that, it's his third contract.

"It's rare to see an NFL running back make it that deep into his career," Solak said.

Bears more likely to seek other help

It wouldn't be a reach to think the Bears would be active at the trading deadline, but not for a running back. Solak's idea really tests the imagination.

The Bears need defensive help and probably will still need some on the edge or at tackle later this year. They may even need more secondary help. They thought they had secondary depth last year and still wound up short

Solak even touches on the main reason the Bears wouldn't be pursuing a back in a trade and that's money. He talks about the deals Derrick Henry and Christian McCaffrey had, and also how Taylor will be looking for money in a third contract. The Bears will be all about devoting their limited future cap space to contract extensions for Darnell Wright and another year down the road to Caleb Williams.

Signing backs in their late 20s to contract extensions would never be something Ben Johnson or Ryan Poles would pursue. Both view linemen as more essential but the passing game as even more critical.

It's a sad state of affairs in the NFL but backs are viewed as disposable items, and not the way the Bears once saw Walter Payton. The back era ended long ago, and while there was a bit of renewed interest in running backs after Saquon Barkley led the Eagles to a title, it wasn't a real trend.

There are too many economic factors in a physical league with a salary cap, and especially in one where a premium is placed on passing, to expect the Bears or any other team to revert to a day when running backs in their late 20s are highly sought.

This trade prediction looks more like an attempt at shock for the sake of click, and it inspires no awe.

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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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