Saquon Barkley admits he almost signed with the Chicago Bears in NFL free agency

The Chicago Bears were closer to signing running back Saquon Barkley in 2024 free agency than you think.

James Lang-Imagn Images

The Chicago Bears were close to signing Philadelphia Eagles superstar running back Saquon Barkley during the 2024 NFL free agency period, the league's leading rusher told reporters Monday at Super Bowl Opening Night.

Let that sink in, Bears fans.

Just how close was Barkley to becoming a Bear?

"Pretty damn close," he said.

The Bears' interest in Barkley last offseason was revealed during an episode of Hard Knocks, Offseason with the New York Giants.

#Giants owner John Mara on Saquon Barkley potentially getting interest from the Eagles and Bears:

"I'll have a tough time sleeping if Saquon goes to Philadelphia, I'll tell you that. ... He's the most popular player we have BY FAR."pic.twitter.com/T0SJDIyHZH

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) July 17, 2024

While most of the attention of the Saquon Barkley negotiations was on the Eagles haunting John Mara's dreams, the Bears did try to slide in and steal the eventual 2,000-yard rusher from the swamps of New Jersey.

Unfortunately for Chicago, it wasn't meant to be. And, let's be honest: There's no chance Barkley would've had the same kind of success with the Bears that he enjoyed with the Eagles running behind arguably the NFL's best offensive line in 2024.

Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Barkley finished the 2024 season with 345 carries for 2,005 yards and 13 touchdowns, all representing career highs. His 5.8 yards per carry was the best of his career, too.

Meanwhile, the Chicago Bears' rushing attack was led by D'Andre Swift, who was pretty average. Swift finished the 2024 season with 959 rushing yards and six scores but managed just 3.8 yards per carry, the lowest average per rush of his career.

The Bears are expected to target a running back in the early rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft, with some mock drafts projecting Chicago as a potential fit for Boise State's Ashton Jeanty, who ran for ran for an out-of-this-world 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns in 2024.

It's impossible to know what kind of impact Saquon Barkley would've had on the Chicago Bears' 2024 season, but it's unlikely he would've flipped a 5-12 season into a post-season berth. And had the Bears broken the bank on him and not made the playoffs, it would've been a decision that was criticized across football media.

Sometimes, the best deals are the ones that never get done. It's undoubtedly true for Barkley and his 2024 NFL free-agency experience.

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