The Chicago Bears are in need of a featured running back, so it’s not surprising that they are being linked to Saquon Barkley as a possible offseason target.
Shervon Fakhimi of ClutchPoints lists Barkley as a free agent that the Bears might pursue this March, and while running backs aren’t typically high on NFL teams’ priority lists in this era, it does make sense.
Yes, Chicago boasts the second-best ground attack in the league this season, but much of that is thanks to the fact that Justin Fields is one of the best rushing quarterbacks in football. The Bears have a decent group of halfbacks in Khalil Herbert, Roschon Johnson and D’Onta Foreman, but they don’t really have a standout No. 1 guy in their backfield.
Enter Barkley, who is playing out the final year of his contract with the New York Giants and, barring a change in circumstances, will probably not be returning to the Giants in 2024.
New York declined to give Barkley a long-term extension going into this season, opting to re-sign him to a one-year deal. There was some chatter that the Giants could potentially trade him at the deadline back in October, but they decided to hold on to him.
In 13 games this year, Barkley has rushed for 916 yards and four touchdowns while averaging four yards per carry. He has also caught 39 passes for 229 yards and four scores. He missed three contests due to an ankle injury earlier in the season.
The 26-year-old, who played his collegiate football at Penn State, was selected by the Giants with the second overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft.
Unfortunately, injuries have defined much of Barkley’s tenure in New York, as he has played just one full campaign with the club. That came during his rookie campaign.
When healthy, Barkley is a terrific running back, as evidenced by his Pro Bowl appearances in 2018 and 2022 (he played in all but one game last season). But whether or not Barkley can actually stay on the field is the question.
Still, if the Bears can get Saquon Barkley on an affordable deal this spring, it would definitely make sense to bring him aboard.
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