Natalia Chi
There’s still a lot of uncertainty when it comes to the new Bears pushing back Donta Foreman, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. may be on the way.
Foreman was largely sidelined by the NFL after an injury derailed his rookie career, and is still in free agency after rushing for a career-high 914 yards and five touchdowns with the Panthers last season. His market at NBA was lukewarm.
The Bears don’t need Foreman to be their star. They need him solid in a rushing offense that already features Khalil Herbert and quarterback Justin Fields.
But that’s certainly not his way of thinking.
“I came here to be a man,” he said at his introductory press conference. “If I hadn’t come here with that mindset, I would have hurt myself. I didn’t come here to take someone’s backseat.”
Regardless of what role Foreman takes under offensive coordinator Luke Getzi, there are good reasons to believe he can contribute. At his best, he can give the Bears what they lost when David Montgomery left in free agency.
Foreman’s problem is that he’s rarely played his best since reaching the NFL with a third-round pick out of Texas in 2017, and he’s rarely been in good health.
His career didn’t take off when he tore his Achilles tendon as a rookie. And he only played his one match the following season. When he signed with the Colts in 2019, he tore his biceps and missed all of that season.
Last season with the Panthers was the first time Foreman played more than 10 games. In fact, he played every game and had a career of 914 yards (4.5 yards per carry) and 5 touchdowns. If he can produce something similar this season, he’ll be a steal for the Bears.
He did most of it as the starting running back after the Panthers traded All-Pro Christian McCaffrey six games into the season. After the trade, Foreman said he averaged 79.7 rushing yards per game, and in 11 games he exceeded 100 yards five times.
“I had the opportunity to become a man and take over,” Foreman said. “It was great for me. I was able to reinsert myself and look at what I was bringing to the table and how good I really was.
“It was the perfect moment to show people that I can play as good as the best players in the league.
Foreman fits the profile of other players that general manager Ryan Pauls acquired this offseason. That’s the right idea for a team that is still rebuilding. It’s also much smarter than the Lions presenting Montgomery with his three-year, $18 million offer at a time when running backs are the most replaceable position in the game.
The Bears are still likely to consider running backs in the late rounds of the draft, but they seem to plan on Foreman sharing the load and Herbert spearheading the rushing offense. Hopefully these two can play well enough not to rush for 1,000 yards.
Unpredictable at the moment, but it seems reasonable. Foreman has shown he’s not washed up. Foreman has a sizable advantage, and if the Bears take the risk, it’s exactly the type of risk that makes sense.
