Ben Johnson was hired as the next Chicago Bears head coach in part due to the explosive offense he crafted with the Detroit Lions. However, for Johnson’s offense to be successful, the Bears must become much more stout in the run game.
During the 2024 campaign, Johnson helped Detroit finish sixth in overall rushing, averaging 146.4 yards per game. In turn, Chicago finished 25th, averaging 102 YPG. It’d be quite the leap for the Bears to hit Lions status in Johnson’s first year, but it’s at least a sign of what the head coach will be expecting from his running backs.
As it stands, D’Andre Swift, Roschon Johnson and Kyle Monangai are the team’s three leading running backs. Each are still battling for a larger role in the offense and each offers completely different skill sets. Johnson for example has proven to be a proficient goal line back.
That trend continued on Tuesday, as Johnson scored numerous goal line touchdowns during red zone drills. Some running backs might be miffed about being used exclusively in short-yardage situations. However, Johnson is embracing whatever role is thrown at him as he aims to help the Bears succeed, via Zack Pearson of Bear Report.
“Scoring touchdowns isn’t too bad,” Roschon Johnson said with a laugh. “I would say that’s definitely one of them. Whatever I can do to contribute. If that’s short yardage, goal line, whatever the case may be, I’m all for it. It’s fun to always be involved in that type of stuff.”
Roschon Johnson ready for anything
During the 2024 campaign, Johnson tied Swift with a team-high six touchdowns. He didn’t get much work outside of the goal line, earning 55 carries and 150 yards overall. However, Johnson at least proved that he is a force with the ball in his hands on the goal line.
He earned a slightly larger role as a rookie, turning 81 carries into 352 yards and two touchdowns. His 4.3 yards per carry will garner respect. But Johnson has yet to break through his backup ceiling.
If he continues to get goal line work though, Johnson will be a critical piece of Chicago’s offense. He may not make many headlines, but being a dominant force in short-yardage situations will only get the running back on the field more often. If the Bears are using a committee at running back, they at least want to be confident Johnson can break through the defense at the goal line.
Perhaps if he strings strong performances together, Johnson will get a larger role. But he is taking things one step at a time and is ready for whatever the Bears throw at him.
“There’s a lot of film that I have to put out and things I can showcase from my end that I feel like I haven’t really put out in the past couple of years,” Johnson said. “So, I’m looking forward to it, but at the end of the day, with the opportunities that I get, I just have to make the most out of them. That’s how I’m approaching it.”
Chicago Bears competition
The only name ahead of Johnson on Chicago’s first unofficial depth chart is Swift. That is to be expected as Johnson, the head coach, has been adamant he’ll continue to have a large role in the offense.
In Swift’s debut with the Bears, he ran for 959 yards and six touchdowns on a career-high 253 carries. While he nearly broke 1,000 yards, Swift averaged a poor 3.8 YPC. Johnson has experience working with Swift on the Lions. But the running back must take a major step forward to retain his RB1 role.
Monangai may have been a seventh-round pick, but he has been earning massive buzz throughout the offseason. Small in stature at 5-foot-8 and running just a 4.6 40-yard dash at the combine, Monangai has plenty to prove as a rookie. But Coach Johnson has been adamant that the running back will have a role.
Throughout preseason, Bears fans will certainly be monitoring how Coach Johnson uses his running backs. Don’t be shocked to see Roschon Johnson get the carry should Chicago needs a push in any short-yardage situation.
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