The Chicago Bears already possess one of the NFL’s elite rushing attacks, which will only improve next season should the team target an upgrade at running back.
After four seasons in Chicago, David Montgomery is bound for free agency in March and will be seeking the one big contract he’s likely to get in his career while playing arguably the most disposable and devalued position in contemporary professional football. Meanwhile, Josh Jacobs will be looking to cash in himself after an All-Pro campaign with the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Bears have a decision on their hands — spend large at running back, which the team can afford to do considering its nearly $100 million in salary cap space, or look for a bargain at the position like most NFL franchises do every year. Either way, Montgomery doesn’t seem like the answer.
He won’t come at a bargain in 2023 or beyond, and while his numbers and durability have proven solid over the course of his career, he probably isn’t worth the risk that comes with giving a running back a massive payday. Jacobs, on the other hand, might be. As such, Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report urged the Bears on Friday, February 17, to take a big swing on the big-play back out of Vegas.
Josh Jacobs Perfect RB Pairing For Bears’ QB Justin Fields
GettyRunning back Josh Jacobs of the Las Vegas Raiders runs with the ball as cornerback Duke Shelley, formerly of the Chicago Bears, attempts to tackle him during a game at Allegiant Stadium on October 10, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Knox’s argument centered around pairing Jacobs with quarterback Justin Fields, who is arguably the best rusher of the football at his position in the entire league as well. Jacobs wouldn’t just help bolster what was already the No. 1 run game in football last year, he would also help Fields develop as a passer.
Running backs have become somewhat devalued in the modern NFL … Josh Jacobs isn’t your typical running back, though. The Las Vegas Raiders star is a legitimate every-down back who can help carry an offense as both a runner and a receiver.
The Bears should be eager to make a play for Jacobs. They have the cap space to do so, and they could desperately use a high-end starter to pair with Fields or another young quarterback.
Not only could Jacobs help bolster Chicago’s 32nd-ranked passing offense, but he’d also be a big upgrade over 2022 starter and impending free agent David Montgomery, who has averaged a mere 3.9 yards per carry in his career.
Jacobs posted a league-best 1,653 rushing yards on 4.9 yards per attempt in 2022, while scoring 12 touchdowns on the ground. He also hauled in 53 passes and 400 yards through the air, per Pro Football Reference.
Bears, Raiders Can Use Franchise Tag to Keep Montgomery, Jacobs
GettyRunning back David Montgomery of the Chicago Bears runs with the ball during a game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Soldier Field on December 18, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Jacobs wouldn’t be an option for Chicago had the Raiders not made a crucial error involving his contract prior to last season.
Las Vegas had a chance to exercise a fifth-year team option on Jacobs that would have locked him into a Raiders uniform through 2023. The franchise bet the wrong way, allowing the running back to enter free agency a year early after his first All-Pro campaign and second Pro-Bowl season.
The Raiders could still use the franchise tag to bring Jacobs back into the fold next year at a price of just over $10 million. That is actually a bargain for Las Vegas based on Spotrac’s projected market value for Jacobs, which is set at $12.8 million annually, or $51.4 million over a four-year deal.
However, using the franchise tag tends to be a measure of last resort that irks players and could complicate a long-term deal, if that is something the Raiders hope to get done in the future. Choosing to tempt free agency this offseason would put Las Vegas in danger of losing Jacobs, who has made it clear he would like to return to the Raiders but only under circumstances that “make sense,” per SiriusXM NFL Radio.
The Bears can also franchise Montgomery if they choose, though he would earn the same salary as would Jacobs — just over $10 million. That would not be the same bargain in Chicago, as Spotrac projects Montgomery’s market value at $7.2 million annually over a three-year contract.
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Bears Dubbed Top Landing Spot For All-Pro Running Back