The Chicago Bears have dramatically retooled their offense over the past two weeks. It started by trading for D.J. Moore in that #1 pick blockbuster. Then they added tight end Robert Tonyan to bolster the position behind Cole Kmet. Finally, after losing David Montgomery, they signed quality veteran D’Onta Foreman to fortify their running game. He and Khalil Herbert threaten to make a formidable tandem on the ground. There is one problem. Neither of them solves the lack of a receiving threat out of the backfield. That is where Austin Ekeler comes in.
Reports surfaced that the star running back was granted permission by the Los Angeles Chargers to seek a trade. This came as a shock considering Ekeler had the best season of his career in 2022, with 1,637 yards from scrimmage and 18 touchdowns. What makes him so lethal is his presence in the passing game. Since 2017, he has 389 catches for 3,448 yards and 29 touchdowns. If the Bears traded for him to pair with Herbert and Foreman, this team would have the most feared backfield in the NFL.
Imagine what Justin Fields could do with Austin Ekeler.
Defenses wouldn’t know how to respond. They’d have to account for Fields on the ground when scrambling, but they couldn’t swarm him, knowing Ekeler was lurking as a receiving threat. All of this while Herbert and Foreman present their own issues as legitimate workhorses on the ground. The Bears could throw them at defenses in waves. Then there is the element of play action with the speedy D.J. Moore and Darnell Mooney able to go over the top for big plays. It would be a nightmare to defend.
It would be similar in style to the 2007 Chargers when they had LaDainian Tomlinson, Michael Turner, and Darren Sproles. While the coaches didn’t take full advantage of Sproles’ pass-catching ability, the sheer depth at that position helped carry the team to the AFC championship. Chicago could forge something similar if they made a move for Austin Ekeler. It’s unlikely he would be overly pricey, not with his contract and him turning 28 years old in May. This move makes sense if the Bears are committed to their identity from last year.
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