The Chicago Bears really aren’t in need of a running back. D’Andre Swift is the lead rusher in their backfield, and Kyle Monangai is also in the fold after a surprisingly strong rookie campaign.

And yet, for some reason, Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay is projecting the Bears to swing a rather strange trade for Arizona Cardinals halfback James Conner.

“The Chicago Bears are a sensible suitor for the nine-year veteran, needing to add one more proven piece to their backfield to truly feel comfortable about it in 2026,” Kay wrote. “The team failed to address the glaring lack of depth behind D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai during both free agency and the draft, inaction that kept an ineffective Roschon Johnson in Chicago’s RB3 position going into training camp.”

Here’s the thing, though: Conner is certainly not a No. 3 back when healthy, and it seems hard to imagine the Bears investing any capital into a running back when they really don’t have a clear need for one.

Conner’s path to this moment has been shaped by a difficult 2025 campaign. A serious ankle injury limited him to just three games during what was his age-30 season, interrupting a productive stretch that had seen him post back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing years.

Rather than test free agency early, he agreed to a pay cut that kept him in Arizona for the final year of his contract. That decision, however, collided with the Cardinals’ aggressive rebuild. Selecting Jeremiyah Love with the third overall pick in the 2026 draft installed a young, high-upside feature back who is expected to command the majority of offensive snaps.

Behind Love sits Trey Benson, still recovering from his own injury-plagued year, leaving Conner to battle for limited residual work in a crowded room.

From Arizona’s perspective, trading Conner makes clear sense. The Cardinals would free a roster spot, create additional cap flexibility, and extract some draft capital or other assets for a player who is otherwise likely to walk in free agency after the season with little return.

Conner still has value as a proven, physical runner who can contribute in multiple phases, and his remaining contract carries a modest $4.8 million cap number that should not scare potential suitors.

But does Chicago actually represent one of those potential suitors? Probably not.

Prior to his injury-riddled 2025 campaign, Conner put together back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 2023 and 2024, and he is also a two-time Pro Bowler.

Yes, he is 31 years old now, but it seems hard to imagine there isn’t a team out there that wouldn’t be willing to give him a more significant role than RB3.

While Arizona may very well move Conner before the start of the season, it would be shocking if the Bears ended up acquiring him.