Getty Running back Khalil Herbert of the Chicago Bears.
The Chicago Bears have been using the trade market mostly to acquire major talent over the past couple of seasons, but they could soon flip the script and make a deal or two to thin out some of their stacked position groups.
One roster spot where Chicago is loaded with talent is at the running back position. The Bears signed 2023 Pro Bowler D’Andre Swift this spring, formerly of the Detroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles, and he is the frontrunner to start. Chicago drafted Roschon Johnson in the fourth round the offseason prior, and he should start training camp with the inside track on the backup job.
As such, Joe Tansey of Bleacher Report on Monday, July 1, dubbed running back Khalil Herbert one of the team’s top three trade candidates prior to the beginning of camp later this month.
“Khalil Herbert is the most logical trade candidate on Chicago’s running back depth chart,” Tansey wrote. “Herbert enters training camp as the No. 3 running back on the depth chart and there may not be room for him to move upward. … Of course, the Bears could keep Herbert as insurance in case an injury happens, but he may want more snaps from the start of the season.”
Khalil Herbert Enters Contract Year in 2024 Following 3 Productive Campaigns With Bears
GettyOffensive guard Teven Jenkins of the Chicago Bears lifts up running back Khalil Herbert while celebrating a touchdown during an NFL game.
Chicago selected Herbert in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL draft (pick No. 217 overall). An undersized player for any position in the league at 5-feet-9 and 210 pounds coming out of Virginia Tech, Herbert has made an impact for the Bears using his natural speed and elusiveness.
Herbert ran a 4.55-second 40-yard dash coming out of college and has used his quick burst to amass 1,775 rushing yards (4.9 yards per carry) and 8 rushing touchdowns across 42 games played, including 12 starts. The running back has also caught 43 passes for 287 receiving yards and 2 TDs over his three-year career, per Pro Football Reference.
Herbert is entering the final season of his four-year, $3.6 million rookie contract. That he will play in his first NFL contract year in 2024 lends credibility to Tansey’s idea that Herbert will want more touches than Chicago’s offense might be able to afford him early in the season.
That doesn’t necessarily mean that the Bears will comply with Herbert’s wishes if he does want an early exit from the Windy City. Injuries are common in the league, particularly at a high-impact position like running back, and having a player like Herbert stashed on the roster could prove of considerable value during the war of attrition that often is the regular season.
D’Andre Swift Proved Durable as Eagles’ Starting RB Last Season
GettyChicago Bears running back D’Andre Swift, formerly of the Philadelphia Eagles.
If all goes as planned for Chicago’s new, high-powered offense, then Herbert could end up on the block ahead of the mid-season trade deadline — if not this summer.
Swift was only a part-time starter during his years with the Lions and didn’t assume a full-time starting role until his fourth NFL season (and first season in Philadelphia) last year.
Swift appeared in 16 games for the Eagles in 2023, starting 15 of those. He finished the campaign with 1,049 rushing yards (4.6 yards per attempt) and 5 rushing TDs, as well as 39 catches for 214 receiving yards and 1 TD reception.
