Not only are the Chicago Bears interested in running back Ashton Jeanty, there are now murmurs that the team might trade up to ensure they land him. Fans and pundits have already begun salivating over the idea of Jeanty playing in new head coach Ben Johnson’s offense.
There hasn’t been a running back prospect like Jeanty in recent NFL Draft memory. Conventional wisdom says the first-round is too early to draft a running back, let alone in the first round, let alone trading up for one. But Jeanty is a different breed and is set to shake up both the draft and the league at large upon his arrival.
If Jeanty were to join the Bears, he would be joining a strong lineage of running backs. At the top of the list is Hall of Famer Walter Payton. Jeanty has received comparisons to Payton, and he has heard the rumors about Chicago potentially trading up for him. He is honored to be in the same breath as Payton and isn’t opposed to joining Sweetness’ franchise, via CHGO Bears.
“That would feel pretty good, that wouldn’t be a bad decision by them.” Jeanty said of the Bears trading up. “Sweetness, huh. It feels pretty good to be compared to any great, especially him. He has done so many great things for the game of football.”
Ashton Jeanty on the possibility of the Bears trading up to draft him & being compared to Walter Payton 👀⬇️ pic.twitter.com/OCFMc1wcQh
— CHGO Bears (@CHGO_Bears) April 23, 2025
Ashton Jeanty completely changes Chicago Bears
Whether he is with the Bears or not, Jeanty is expected to completely revolutionize any NFL team’s offense. He will immediately be instilled as the lead rusher and counted on as the focal point of the offense. Jeanty will likely be a favorite for Offensive Rookie of the Year.
In his final season at Boise State, Jeanty led the nation with 2,601 yards, scoring an eyebrow raising 29 touchdowns. The running back was the Heisman Trophy runner-up while winning the Maxwell, Doak Walker and Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Awards.
The Bears already have D’Andre Swift on their roster, but he averaged a mere 3.8 yards per carry despite getting a career-high 253 carries. Chicago as a whole ranked 25th in rushing, averaging 102 yards per game.
Adding Jeanty to the roster gives the Bears an explosive tool to work with. If Caleb Williams reaches the ceiling Chicago expects him to, then Chicago would have a scary duo operating out of the backfield. Overall, the Bears want to become an offensive force under Johnson. Drafting Jeanty would certainly send them on the right path.
Bears need rushing spark
While Swift has been getting the most flack due to recency bias, Chicago has been searching for a star running back longer than just 2025. The team has shown flashes of brilliance in the run game at times, but the Bears haven’t had a true star running back in recent history.
David Montgomery was solid, and he was certainly a good running back during his time with the Bears. However, he broke 1,000 yards rushing just once, in 2020; with 1,070 yards. Chicago fans are rejoicing over that season though, as that is the last time the Bears have had a 1,000+ yard season from a running back. Quarterback Justin Fields ran for 1,143 yards in 2022.
It gets worse from there, as without those 70 extra yards from Montgomery, Chicago’s streak of seasons without a 1,000+ yard running back dates all the way back to Jordan Howard in 2017. Put it simply, the Bears need a true workhorse to build around. There isn’t perhaps a better option available than Jeanty.
That is of course, he is available when it’s time for the Bears to pick. The running back has been one of the buzziest players in the draft. But there’s no doubting Chicago wants to fix their run game in a big way. And that Jeanty is at the top of their wish list.
Top NFL Draft pass rusher sees Chicago Bears as strong fit
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