Getty Bears head coach Matt Eberflus.
The Chicago Bears are re-signing a familiar face to their running back room as they prepare to spend the next few weeks without starter Khalil Herbert.
According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, the Bears are signing fourth-year running back Darrynton Evans from the Miami Dolphins’ practice squad to their 53-man roster, adding some essential depth to the position with multiple backs dealing with injuries.
Evans spent the 2022 season with the Bears, mostly as a practice-squad player, but he earned an active roster spot in late November due to injuries and ended up playing in six games, finishing with 14 rushes for 64 yards and catching a single 33-yard reception. While the 25-year-old only has a little more than 100 career rushing yards, it speaks well of him that Chicago would bring him back over Trestan Ebner, who is a free agent.
Evans will take the 53-man roster spot that was left behind when the Bears traded wide receiver Chase Claypool to the Dolphins. No other corresponding move was necessary.
Herbert Expected to Miss ‘Multiple Weeks’ With Injury
The Bears might need Evans in the coming weeks. Earlier on Sunday, Pellisero also reported that Herbert is expected to miss “multiple weeks” with an ankle injury that he suffered in Week 5’s win over the Washington Commanders on Thursday Night Football.
#Bears RB Khalil Herbert is expected to miss multiple weeks because of the ankle injury he suffered Thursday night against the #Commanders, per sources.
With Roschon Johnson (concussion) and Travis Homer (hamstring) also ailing, it could be D’Onta Foreman time for Chicago.
Herbert had twisted backward on his right leg attempting to catch a short third-down pass from Justin Fields in the third quarter against the Commanders and remained down on the field in visible pain after the play. While he walked off under his own power and eventually tried to return to the game, he took just one carry before his leg appeared to give out on him mid-play and he exited for the remainder of the game.
The Bears also had rookie running back Roschon Johnson (concussion) and Travis Homer (hamstring) sustain injuries in the win over Washington. Fortunately, both players will have a longer-than-usual break between games to get healthy, but the Bears will count Evans and D’Onta Foreman as their only healthy backs until they are cleared.
D’Onta Foreman Could Get Time to Shine for Bears
Losing Herbert is an unfortunate blow for the Bears’ backfield, but his absence could open a window of opportunity for free agent signing D’Onta Foreman to finally shine.
The Bears signed Foreman to a one-year, $2 million contract (with incentives) in free agency after letting David Montgomery walk and looked like they would have him split carries with Herbert coming into the 2023 season, but they unceremoniously cut him out of the mix following Week 1’s opener in favor of getting Johnson more reps. Since then, Foreman has been made a healthy scratch in four consecutive games.
That streak, however, should end in Week 6 even if Johnson and/or Homer are cleared to return to the lineup. Foreman rushed 203 times for 916 yards and five touchdowns for the Carolina Panthers in 2022, doing a significant amount of damage out of their backfield once Christian McCaffrey was traded to the San Francisco 49ers. Even if he has fallen behind since arriving in Chicago, that is experience the Bears need right now.
The Bears will have a long week to figure out how to handle their backfield with their next game — against the Minnesota Vikings — not until 1 p.m. ET on October 15.
Comments
Bears Poach RB From Dolphins After Losing Khalil Herbert