Chicago Bears urged to add Ben Johnson favorite to backfield

Starting with the negatives, Williams is coming off of a brutal season with the New Orleans Saints. Despite playing in 14 games, he received just 48 carries, running for 164 yards and a touchdown. Clearly phased out of the Saints’ gameplan, Williams entered free agency with a giant question mark over his head.

But if there is one coach to can extract any rushing juice out of Williams, it’s Johnson. The running back led the NFL in 2022 with 17 rushing touchdowns as a member of the Detroit Lions. Johnson was the team’s offensive coordinator at that time. While Williams hasn’t had double digit touchdowns in any other campaign, it’s at least a sign that he can succeed in Johnson’s offense.

Furthermore, the Bears’ running back search is based around finding a compliment for D’Andre Swift. Both he and Williams overlapped on the Lions from 2020-2021. Both seasons, Williams had 500+ rushing yards and at least two touchdowns. Swift had eight rushing touchdowns in 2020 and 827 rushing yards in 2021, going over 500 yards and five touchdowns each season.

Of course, their partnership was nearing over half a decade ago. Both are different runners, as the Bears’ scheme is sure to look a lot different than it did on the Lions. However, if Johnson wants a running back he can trust, he at least knows what to expect in Williams.

The Bears are likely going to wait until training camp to add a running back. Things can always change if the right opportunity presents itself. But Johnson and his new staff at least want to see what they have on their roster already before making any drastic decisions. If they don’t like what they see however, Williams could be an option to plug the hole should be remain available in free agency.