The Chicago Bears have major issues in the run game and a trade ahead of the NFL’s early November deadline might be the only way to fix them.
Chicago should have a handful of options to consider, including Travis Etienne Jr. of the Jacksonville Jaguars. The former first-round pick, who has earned approximately $19 million through five years on his rookie deal, is under contract through the end of the season.
Jacksonville already moved on from Tank Bigsby, dealing him to the Philadelphia Eagles for a fifth- and a sixth-round pick in 2026. Fourth-round rookie Bhayshul Tuten currently occupies the RB2 slot behind Etienne, and Jacksonville is ready to promote him into a starting role and and fill the backup spot with seventh-round rookie LeQuint Allen Jr. by 2026, if not before.
Even if the Jaguars prefer to wait a season to do so, dealing Etienne inside the next six weeks is the smartest longterm play for the team if it doesn’t intend to sign him to a new deal, as doing so allows Jacksonville to recoup some draft asset(s) via Etienne’s departure.
Dan Graziano of ESPN dubbed Etienne among the NFL’s top trade candidates on Friday, September 19. And the Bears need an upgrade at running back arguably more than any other franchise in the league.
Travis Etienne Playing Well This Season, Still Makes Sense as Trade Candidate Ahead of NFL Deadline
GettyRunning back Travis Etienne Jr. of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Jaguars could net a substantial haul by trading Etienne in the coming weeks.
“He’s off to an excellent start with the new coaching staff, which believes he’s a great fit for the offense Liam Coen wants to run,” Graziano wrote. Through two weeks, Etienne is second in the NFL in rushing (214 yards).
However, Jacksonville may need to to falter for an Etienne deal to materialize.
“[Tuten and Allen] probably form the future of the team’s backfield,” Graziano continued. If the Jaguars fall out of contention and want to get a longer look at their rookies, Etienne and his $6.143 million salary would probably be pretty easy to move.
Regardless of how the Jaguars fare in the win/loss column, if Etienne continues to play well, he should command reasonable value on the market. If Bigsby brought back a fifth- and a sixth-rounder, it’s feasible that a team like the Bears might part with a future fourth-round pick to get a guy in the backfield who can force defenses to respect the run and give quarterback Caleb Williams more breathing room.
D’Andre Has Swift Proven Incapable of Handling Lead RB Role in Bears Offense
GettyChicago Bears running back D’Andre Swift.
Bill Barnwell of ESPN wrote on Thursday that the Bears are a strong candidate to trade for a running back after an 0-2 start, during which the rush game — currently led by D’Andre Swift — has been among the worst in the league with numbers that include last in EPA per designed run and 30th in success rate.
“Chicago’s run game has been virtually nonexistent through two weeks,” Barnwell wrote. “It shouldn’t be a surprise that Swift isn’t a great fit for [Ben] Johnson’s run game; remember that the Lions traded away Swift during Johnson’s time with the team.”
Swift has also struggled in pass protection this season, which has further disrupted Johnson’s development of Williams.
As Barnwell noted, Swift is more of a change-of-pace back who the previous coaching regime in Chicago miscast as a true No. 1 by inking him to a three-year contract worth $24 million ahead of the 2024 campaign following a Pro-Bowl season in Philadelphia.
Bears Trade Proposal Secures $19 Million RB to Replace D’Andre Swift