Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs. Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Bears named best fit for All-Pro free-agent running back

By Michael Gallagher | Last updated 2/21/23

The Chicago Bears had the No. 1-ranked rushing offense in the NFL in 2022, and now they’re a reported frontrunner for the top free agent running back on the market.

Fresh off his NFL-leading 1,653-yard rushing season, Josh Jacobs is set to cash in on his career year, and Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox believes the Bears, who have close to $93M in cap space—the most in the NFL—could be at the front of the line to throw money at the 25-year-old All-Pro should the Las Vegas Raiders not re-sign or franchise tag him.

“The Bears should be eager to make a play for Jacobs,” Knox wrote. “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.”

Highest-graded RB last season:

Josh Jacobs - 91.6 pic.twitter.com/IS8JnEUJtI
— PFF Fantasy Football (@PFF_Fantasy) February 21, 2023

Montgomery has just one 1,000-yard season in four years with the Bears even though he started 13 or more games in each of the three seasons. He narrowly edged out Khalil Herbert in yards (801 to 731) despite starting 15 more games.

Should Chicago let Montgomery walk in free agency, Jacobs would make a perfect backfield complement to Herbert and give quarterback Justin Fields an added security blanket out of the backfield — Jacobs has logged 50 receptions in back-to-back seasons, and he’s had 20 or more receptions every year since he entered the league.

Jacobs’ projected market value is $12.8M per year, according to Spotrac, and the Bears are one of just 14 teams with $10M or more in cap space in 2023. Of those 14, approximately five or six could be in the market for a running back.

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