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Why the Bears Can Feel More Confident in Roschon Johnson for Opener

All the Bears' backup ever needed was working with a teammate and an opportunity in preseason, and now they may need to count on him to play in the opener.
Gene Chamberlain|
Roschon Johnson powers ahead against the Tennessee Titans in preseason.
Roschon Johnson powers ahead against the Tennessee Titans in preseason. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Chicago Bears

Last year Roschon Johnson seemed invisible after he had carved out a bit of a niche for himself in the Bears' offense over his first two years when Matt Eberflus was head coach.

Finishing a year with two carries for 17 yards is about as unseen as it gets for a running back and for that reason there was plenty of doubt outside Halas Hall and even inside about Johnson's ability to make the team this season.

With the opener against Carolina just over a week away, Johnson could have a real role in the offense, and after he led the Bears in preseason rushing with 128 yards Ben Johnson's staff is far more confident he can get the job done than even as recently as the end of July.

It's questionable how many of the top running backs from either the Panthers or the Bears will play in the opener. Kyle Monangai is week to week, according to Ben Johnson. Because he hasn't even practiced since suffering a hyperextension, his availability can't be assumed in the least.

Starter D'Andre Swift left practice on Thursday, but ESPN's Adam Schefter reported it was a case of cramps. On a hot, extemely humid day, this seemed natural. But the Bears will still need that backup and power punch Johnson can provide with Monangai out.

How Roschon Johnson has proven himself

More will finally come out on all injured players on Wednesday because the first injury report of this season gets released when practice ends on that day.

"I think Roschon is a guy that really had a great finish to camp here," offensive coordinator Press Taylor said. "Somebody that earned a lot of trust through the last couple weeks, be it as Kyle goes down and Roschon's numbers increase and he got more opportunities, he proved to us that he's trustworthy.

"He can be in those situations if it comes down to it where we need him to carry a heavier load than we expected while being involved in special teams. That's something he's done well."

Johnson had been the short-yardage back and a sort of designated pass blocker at times under the Eberflus regime. Swift said he's always seen ability in Johnson and he merely seemed to need a confidence boost. Swift even helped provide it for him.

"But Roschon, he's very critical of himself, so I trained with him in the offseason," Johnson said. "So, we had conversations and things like that. But he's done a great job all offseason making his opportunities count, not even just on offense, on special teams too."

Johnson had 136 carries in his first two seasons before his inactivity last year.

The Bears do have one other back they could lean on in case the injury to Swift proves worse than feared. That's former Viikings back Zavier Scott, who went on Chicago's practice squad after Minnesota cut him. Scott is built for power at 6-foot-1, 221 pounds, much like 226-pound Johnson. Neither are breakaway threats but both can handle the passing game well and Scott also got 32 carries in his first year with the Vikings for 114 yards last year.

"He's a little bit behind, obviously," Taylor said. "We just picked him up. He's going to be more learning (the) game plans (than the full offense). And then you hope by the middle of the year he starts to understand exactly what the offense is all about and things like that.

"But he's somebody we're excited to get our hands on and see what we can do with him and how quickly he can grasp a lot of things we're asking these guys to do.”

With Swift and Monangai uncertain and the Panthers' running back injury situation rather fluid because of injuries, it's about anyone's guess what could happen in the battle of running attacks in the opener. Carolina's Chuba Hubbard didn't play at all in the preseason after a mid-August hamstring injury but is being counted on to be ready. Backup Jonathan Brooks is being counted on to split time and this past week had knee soreness after he had two torn ACLs within 13 months.

With so much uncertainty, the Bears can count their blessings that their third back is someone who gained experience in his first two seasons, even if they weren't sure whether he would even make the team when training camp began.

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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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