Oh, what could have been, the Chicago Bears must be thinking.
Shortly before agreeing to terms with former Philadelphia Eagles running back D’Andre Swift, it was a future Eagles star who very nearly put pen to paper to join the Bears just as free agency was getting underway last spring.
One of the teams initially linked to Saquon Barkley as he approached free agency for the first time since being chosen by the New York Giants with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, was the Bears.
Saquon Barkley reveals how close he came to signing with Chicago Bears
It’s impossible to know just how much differently the Bears’ 2024 season would have gone had Barkley agreed to terms with Chicago over Philadelphia.
However, it is a bit of a stretch to imagine Barkley sitting at a podium on Super Bowl opening night, preparing to do his part in trying to stop the Kansas City Chiefs’ bid for an unprecedented third consecutive Lombardi Trophy had he joined the Bears rather than the Eagles.
But, during his availability, Barkley revealed just how close he came to sharing a backfield with Bears quarterback Caleb Williams.
Barkley told reporters Monday night at the SuperDome that he came “pretty damn close” to signing with the Bears.
Who knows what the Bears ultimately offered Barkley, who agreed to terms on a three-year deal worth $37.5 million with the Eagles shortly after the Bears inked Swift to a three-year deal worth $24 million as one of the first dominoes to fall in a resurgent running back market.
And, while it’s unlikely that Barkley would have mounted such a significant challenge to Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record as he did in his first campaign behind the Eagles’ offensive line, falling just 100 yards shy of breaking the record, it is fair to wonder how differently the Bears’ rebuild would look with No. 26 as a significant piece of it.
Chicago Bears would pass on Caleb Williams if they could redo 2024 draft: Insider
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