As the training camp season draws closer, the NFL media sphere is getting its details in order. Among the projects is collecting information from the top evaluators and coaches in the league with one question. Who is the best? ESPN began this survey at the running back position, hoping to see which names reigned atop the league. The big winner this year is Bijan Robinson. Atlanta’s former 1st round pick was stellar in 2025, carrying the offense on his back as the team dealt with quarterback issues. He was trailed by Jahmyr Gibbs, Saquon Barkley, Christian McCaffrey, and Jonathan Taylor to round out the top five. If you want to be impressed with Ben Johnson, Chicago Bears fans will note who wasn’t on the list.
Either of the team’s running backs.
D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai were blanked from any consideration. Neither even got an honorable mention for last season. That is somewhat shocking since they combined for over 1900 yards. If anything ever helped illustrate how insanely good Johnson is at crafting a run game, it is this. The Bears were 3rd overall in rushing last season. The two teams ahead of them, Buffalo and Baltimore, had James Cook and Derrick Henry, respectively. Both ranked in ESPN’s top 10.
Ben Johnson is a rare breed.
Most great rushing attacks can’t happen without the presence of a Pro Bowl-caliber running back. However, there are a select few instances where the coach and scheme are so good that they can produce with players who are good, not great. Johnson has already proven it a couple of times. The first was in 2022 with Jamaal Williams, and then last year with Swift and Monangai. His scheme is so diverse and well-crafted that it’s easy for almost anybody to play in it. They just need good vision and some burst to hit the holes.
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Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay are the two others who come to mind in that regard. They can manufacture a strong running game with players most would consider spare parts. It serves as a reminder that good coaches know how to get the most from the pieces they have. Ben Johnson certainly didn’t feel the need to make changes after last season. He chose to run it back (pun intended) with Swift and Monangai again. Yet one can’t help but wonder if a day will come when he finally gets that backfield stud
Every great run game coach eventually does.
Mike Shanahan ended up with Terrell Davis in the 1990s. His son has Christian McCaffrey in San Francisco. McVay had Todd Gurley for a number of years in Los Angeles. Joe Gibbs inherited John Riggins in Washington. It feels like that moment will come sooner or later for Johnson. Truth be told, the Bears are overdue to find that next true franchise running back. While they’ve fielded several good players in the past decade, none of them have quite measured up to the likes of Matt Forte, Neal Anderson, and, of course, Walter Payton.
Try to imagine what those three players would’ve done in Johnson’s scheme. It would’ve been unfair. You can bet that same thought is in the back of the Bears’ minds as this tenure unfolds. The opportunity hasn’t materialized yet. Their best chances in 2025 were undone by bad luck. This year, they were undercut by unexpected voids opening up elsewhere on the roster. Make no mistake, though. Within the next couple of years, a top running back talent will fall into their crosshairs. The NFL had better pray they don’t pull the trigger.
