The Chicago Bears have taken some tough hits at running back this season. They’ve not had Kyle Monangai for a month now as he battles turf toe. Thankfully, he did return to practice this week, but won’t play until after the bye week. If that weren’t bad enough, they also just lost Zavier Scott to Injured Reserve right as he was becoming a key component on special teams. This has put a lot of pressure on D’Andre Swift to carry the load. Roschon Johnson has worked hard to do his part, but he just doesn’t have the traits to take full advantage of Ben Johnson’s run scheme.
They may soon add an interesting wrinkle to that equation. According to Michael Trapagni of the Chicago Guardian, the Bears are favorites to sign running back Kendre Miller to the practice squad. The former 3rd round pick spent his career with the New Orleans Saints but was released on Saturday. It was a minor surprise to some. Miller had shown flashes of capability throughout his time there, but never got full workloads because of the presence of Alvin Kamara and then Travis Etienne.
Miller can be adequate insurance for Kyle Monangai.
The two share a lot in common. Neither was known for being the biggest or fastest, but both were highly productive in college. Miller racked up over 1500 total yards as a junior in 2022, with 17 touchdowns. Draft analysts saw a player with good size, vision, and the ability to break tackles. He consistently found the holes when they were there. The biggest knock on him was he didn’t have the ability to hit the home run. Getting drafted to the Saints probably wasn’t best for his career.
Going to Chicago could be a huge blessing for him. We already saw what they could do with Kyle Monangai. If Miller takes to coaching well, he’ll be under the guidance of Johnson and the highly decorated running backs coach Eric Studesville. He will be in capable hands. With all due respect to Kellen Moore, his track record as a run-game play caller is hit-or-miss. He has some good seasons and some awful ones. There is no such reputation to worry about with Johnson.
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The Bears obviously had intel on this.
Remember, Dennis Allen was with the Saints when they drafted Miller a few years ago. He knew all the important details, from his work ethic to his coachability. There is no way the Bears would bring him in hours after getting cut if they weren’t confident he could do something for them. Don’t forget he has some experience returning kicks on special teams. That just adds to his value. There is no such thing as too many running backs in this league. It is a position that can be prone to attrition.
At the very least, Miller gives them credible depth. If a few things go right, he might unlock some of that considerable potential he showed in college. Sometimes a change of scenery is all a player needs. If this goes through, don’t be surprised if the Bears look to get him opportunities at some point this season.
