The Chicago Bears had one of the best rushing offenses in the NFL this past season under Ben Johnson, helping them reach the Divisional Round of the playoffs. While NFL free agency is still months away, it appears Chicago could look to strengthen its offense with one of the top talents available.
Reporting from the Shrine Bowl, NFL insider Tony Pauline wrote that league insiders believe the Bears will be suitors this offseason for running back Travis Etienne.
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Etienne, age 27, is coming off a career-best season with the Jacksonville Jaguars. The former first-round pick set personal highs in total touchdowns (13). After a down season in 2024 with 812 scrimmage yards, Etienne averaged 4.3 yards per carry this past season and proved extremely effective both as a rusher (1,107 rushing yards) and a pass-catching weapon (292 receiving yards).
While Jacksonville might have some interest in re-signing Etienne, the cost of doing so could prevent it. The Jaguars also have Bhayshul Tuten poised to take on a larger workload in 2026, and fellow running back LeQuint Allen Jr. showed flashes (4.1 yards per carry) in his rookie season.
Pursuing Etienne would mean that Chicago is likely ready to cut ties with D’Andre Swift. The 5-foot-9 running back is also coming off a career-best campaign, putting up 1,087 rushing yards and 10 total touchdowns in 16 games while averaging 4.9 yards per carry.
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There is a financially friendly path for the Bears to move on from Swift. Cutting him before the fifth day of the 2026 NFL league year would save the club $500,000 in a roster bonus, and releasing him before June 1 would free up $7.47 million in cap space.
If the Bears swapped out Swift for Etienne, Johnson would likely maintain the tandem running back duo with Kyle Monangai. Together, Chicago’s top running backs handled 60 touches in two postseason games and 470 total touches during the regular season.
