As Ben Johnson steps into his new role as Chicago Bears head coach, he is going to want playmakers all across his offense. And one area the Bears could immediately address is the running back room.
Chicago finished the 2024 campaign ranked 25th in rushing, averaging 102 yards per game. They have been heavily connected to Ashton Jeanty with their No. 10 overall pick and been aligned with nearly every running back in the 2025 NFL Draft if that selection doesn’t come to fruition. While the Bears have D’Andre Swift, it seems likely they enter training camp with at least one more rushing option.
But perhaps Johnson and company don’t look to the draft for their next rushing threat. Well, at least not with their own picks. Alex Kay of Bleacher Report suggests the Bears should trade Swift and their No. 72 overall pick to acquire Breece Hall from the New York Jets.
“The Bears still haven’t bolstered this struggling platoon, so they must either opt to utilize one of their seven picks in the upcoming draft on a prospect or flip one for a known entity like Hall,” Kay wrote. “The latter would be more appealing, as they have other areas of need to address in the early rounds.
“Getting a back of Hall’s caliber for a Day 2 pick while also dumping Swift—who could be far better utilized as a pass-catching depth option in New York—would be a perfect usage of that capital,” Kay concluded.
What Breece Hall offers Chicago Bears
After tearing his ACL as a rookie, Hall has crafted a sizable role in the Jets’ offense. Through 40 games total, he has run for 2,333 yards and 14 touchdowns. Hall has added another 1,292 yards and eight touchdowns through the air.
There are clear positives to Hall’s game. For starters, his dual threat ability perfectly meshes with what Johnson wants to do on offense. In his final season with the Detroit Lions, running back Jamhyr Gibbs gained 1,412 yards and 16 touchdowns on the ground while catching 52 passes for 517 yards and four touchdowns. While Hall and Gibbs are two completely different running backs, it’s easy to see how the former fits in the latter’s scheme.
At the same time, Hall has never rushed for more than 1,000 yards in a season. His most recent campaign saw him dip to 876 rushing yards and five touchdowns. With the chaos Aaron Rodgers brought to the offense, it’s fair to wonder how much Hall is actually at fault. Still, the Bears would be handing him the keys to their running back room. They want to ensure Hall has what it takes to handle it.
Still only 23-years-old, Johnson would surely find a way to work the running back into his offense. The only question is whether the Bears, and Jets, are willing to make a deal.
Bears swing a trade
For starters, the Jets must agree to deal Hall. But if they do, the Bears have two crucial decisions to make. Does the franchise want to get rid of Swift, and are they willing to part with a third-round pick?
Swift’s debut in Chicago saw him run for 959 yards and six touchdowns. While he received a career-high 253 carries, the running back averaged just 3.8 yards per touch. Hall wasn’t much better at 4.2, but still, Johnson knows he needs his lead rusher to be much more efficient with the ball. Swift is certainly on the hot seat entering the 2025 campaign.
Still, he gives Johnson and the Bears some extra firepower in the pass game. Swift has caught 237 passes for 1,798 yards and eight touchdowns over his five-year career. He had 42 grabs for 386 yards in his Chicago debut. So, even if the Bears add another running back, it’s not like Swift is a zero in the offense. Johnson has experience working with him and the franchise may not be willing to part ties after just one season; especially based on what went down during the 2024 campaign.
While Hall’s has shown he has true NFL talent, and a third-round pick is a dart throw, the Bears could simply find their next running back there. They seem likely to add a runner early in the draft. Johnson has undoubtedly done his research on every name available in the 2025 class. Hall adds a lot of potential, but the player the Bears select would be Johnson’s guy from day one.
The NFL Draft is always unpredictable. If the Jets are serious about trading Hall, maybe it’s too good of an opportunity for the Bears to pass up. But general manager Ryan Poles knows how crucial the 2025 draft is. He will be cautious with every pick and every decision before him.
Kaleb Johnson provides the Bears with flexibility when it comes to addressing the 2025 NFL Draft
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