The subject of countless trade rumors this offseason, running back Jordan Howard has been assured by the Chicago Bears that he will not be traded.
The idea that the Chicago Bears could possibly trade Pro Bowl running back Jordan Howard started to pick up steam in March. There was a rumor that the Bears were interested in acquiring then-Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jarvis Landry, and that Howard would be one of the pieces heading to Miami. However, that deal quickly fell apart when Landry was sent to the Cleveland Browns.
But then, another Howard trade rumor began when all of the Bears photos on his Instagram account disappeared. The Internet went wild and trade rumors began popping-up everywhere. Again, nothing actually happened and Howard was finally assured that he will not be traded.
The idea that Howard could possibly be moved never really made sense in the first place. First off, Howard is a Pro Bowler and a two-time 1,000-yard rusher. Second, he is still on his rookie contract and is under team control for the next two seasons for cap hits of just $692,000 in 2018 and $782,000 in 2019. That contract is a bargain and the Bears know it.
There’s been some talk that Howard may not fit into Matt Nagy’s offense because of his subpar receiving skills. Part of this is true, as Howard has just 52 receptions in his career and dropped many passes along the way. However, Tarik Cohen and Benny Cunningham are the receiving backs and it’s not like Howard is running around with feet for hands.
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In the past two seasons, Howard has been one of the lone bright spots on the team. He’s missed zero games due to injury in his career and has consistently put-up numbers despite frequently facing eight-man boxes. The Bears need more Jordan Howards, not less. So, let’s put all of this trade talk behind us and call it like it is: Howard is a focal-point of the offense and one of the Bears best players. He’s not going anywhere.