Chicago Bears position battles to look for: Running back

Roschon Johnson — The rookie darkhorse

Roschon Johnson is an interesting case. He could end up being a big steal for the Chicago Bears.

Johnson spent his college career behind Bijan Robinson, one of the most highly-regarded running back prospects since Saquon Barkley. While Robinson got all of the attention, Johnson quietly had a very good career at Texas.

In 47 games with the Longhorns, Johnson ran for 2,190 yards, averaged 5.6 yards per carry, and had 23 touchdowns. How is that for a backup?

Of the three contenders, Johnson looks to be the best candidate to assist in the passing game. He had 56 catches for 420 yards, averaging 7.5 yards per catch, and had 3 touchdowns.

Johnson might not be as polished as the other two. With him having to adjust to the speed of NFL players and navigate his rookie campaign, not many people expect him to win the starting job. However, he seems to be the future for the Chicago Bears.

Don’t be surprised if at some point this season Johnson wins the starting job. If he picks things up and adjusts well, the job could be his sooner rather than later. We’ve already seen that this coaching staff isn’t afraid of playing rookies in key roles right away. Of the rookies last season, four of them were starters. One of them, left tackle Braxton Jones, ended up playing every snap of every game. Johnson could be another surprise and end up being an important part of the Chicago Bears offense.

This will be another great position battle. The Bears have three players who could legitimately become good starters. Whatever happens, Chicago will once again have a strong running game in 2023.