As roster continue to get filled out after free agency and the draft, the Chicago Bears may still be looking to add a veteran in the later stages of free agency before training camp begins.
There was plenty of noise and discussion about the team potentially eyeing a running back early in the 2025 NFL draft, including pre-draft rumors that they were interested in trading up from the 10th overall pick to land Ashton Jeanty, who went to the Las Vegas Raiders with the sixth overall pick.
The Bears didn’t select a running back until the seventh round when they drafted Kyle Monangai, known as a physical runner who shined as a top back with Rutgers in the Big Ten. In his college career, Monangai was named to the First-Team All-Big Ten in 2024 and Second-Team All-Big Ten in 2023, rushing for 2,541 yards and 21 touchdowns in his final two seasons.
Following the draft, there was immediate chatter and rumors of the Bears bringing in a veteran addition to the running back room, but that has yet to happen. While the most popular name on the market has been Nick Chubb, NFL.com’s Jeffri Chadiha believes another veteran is a perfect fit for Chicago’s backfield: J.K. Dobbins.
Dobbins has been hampered by injuries in recent years, missing both the 2021 and 2023 seasons with different injuries, but showed a return to his old form this past season. After signing a one-year contract with the Los Angeles Chargers, Dobbins rushed for 905 yards and nine touchdowns on 195 carries, the most of his career. Pairing Dobbins with D’Andre Swift would give the Bears two weapons at the position who are known for both their rushing talent and ability to catch out of the backfield.
Chicago has brought in several new offensive weapons and rebuilt their offensive line, but they still have room to grow at the running back position. An addition of Dobbins would give the Bears two veteran running backs as well as younger backs Monangai and Roschon Johnson, all of whom would work under new running backs coach Eric Bieniemy, who signed on this offseason to join Ben Johnson’s staff.
There’s still time to see how the roster will shape out coming into training camp later this year, but the Bears would be doing their due diligence to explore the possibility of adding a veteran to the running back group.
Follow Bears Wire on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: J.K. Dobbins dubbed perfect free agent fit for Bears
Reporting by Mike Pendleton, Bears Wire / Bears Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
