Bears Face Running Back Crisis: Freeman, James, and Johnson Step In for Tryouts

Bears Scramble for Running Back Depth Again as Injuries Pile Up

If you’re a Chicago Bears fan, you probably already know the running back room has become a revolving door lately. And honestly, it feels like déjà vu. For the second time in less than two weeks, the team has been forced back onto the market, scrambling to find bodies to fill the depth chart. Tuesday’s workouts, reported by NFL insider Aaron Wilson, showed just how urgent the situation has become.

The Bears invited three running backs in for a look: Royce Freeman, Kylin James, and Dillon Johnson. On the surface, it might look like just another set of preseason tryouts. But when you step back, the bigger picture is clear—the Bears are in damage control mode at one of the most injury-prone spots on the roster.

The Injury Bug Hits Hard

It wasn’t just one or two minor knocks. The Bears’ depth chart at running back has been gutted in the span of a few weeks. Sunday’s preseason blowout—a 38-0 win over the Buffalo Bills—wasn’t just about the scoreboard. It showed how thin the team had become.

• D’Andre Swift sat out with an undisclosed issue.

• Travis Homer wasn’t available.

• Roschon Johnson has been sidelined for weeks with a nagging foot injury.

• Kyle Monangai, the rookie, also missed time with his own health concerns.

• And if that wasn’t enough, Deion Hankins went down early in the Bills game with a leg injury.

That left just two names available for the majority of the contest: Ian Wheeler and Brittain Brown, who had literally been signed days earlier. You don’t need to be an expert to realize—this is not how a team wants to head into the last week of preseason.

Royce Freeman: The Familiar Face

Of the three tryout candidates, Royce Freeman brings the most name recognition. Drafted in the third round by the Denver Broncos back in 2018, Freeman looked like he was going to be a staple in their backfield. His rookie year numbers? Over 500 rushing yards and five touchdowns. Not bad at all.

But that early momentum never turned into long-term success. Freeman bounced around from the Broncos to the Panthers, then the Texans, Rams, and most recently the Cowboys. In fact, he didn’t even play a snap in 2024. That being said, his career totals—1,792 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns—show he can still be a serviceable piece if healthy and motivated.

Could he be the stopgap the Bears need until Swift and Roschon return? Maybe. But fans know the franchise has been burned before by leaning on veterans past their peak.

Kylin James: The Rookie Prospect

Then there’s Kylin James, a name most casual fans probably don’t know. James came out of college this spring after a winding path that included three seasons at Central Arkansas before finishing up at UNLV. His senior year was solid: 653 rushing yards and five touchdowns.

Not the kind of production that lights up draft boards, but enough to earn him NFL looks. A few teams have brought him in for workouts already, but no roster has taken the plunge. Could Chicago be the team to give him that first real shot?

Here’s the thing—sometimes preseason injuries create opportunities that weren’t there before. James may not have been on anyone’s radar as a Week 1 contributor, but if he flashes in practice, he could find himself suiting up faster than expected.

Dillon Johnson: The Wild Card

Lastly, the Bears checked in on Dillon Johnson. Unlike Freeman, Johnson has no real pro résumé yet. Signed as an undrafted free agent in 2024 by the Tennessee Titans, he spent most of his rookie year bouncing between rosters, including some practice squad time with the Panthers.

He hasn’t taken a single snap in an NFL regular season game. On paper, he’s the longest shot of the three. But that doesn’t mean he’s out of the running—no pun intended. Practice squads are built on players exactly like him: young, hungry, and waiting for that first break.

Why the Timing Is Brutal

Here’s where things get tricky: the Bears have just one more preseason game left before the regular season kicks off. That matchup? Against the Kansas City Chiefs on Friday night. It’s already a short week.

Bringing in new players at this stage is tough. They’ve got to learn the playbook, get in sync with the offensive line, and earn the trust of the coaching staff—all in a matter of days. It’s like being thrown into the deep end of the pool and told to swim immediately.

Still, the Bears don’t have much of a choice. Running back is one of those positions where depth matters more than people realize. All it takes is one more setback to put the team in a serious bind heading into Week 1.

The Bigger Question

Here’s the million-dollar question: is this just bad luck, or is the Bears’ running back room built on shaky ground to begin with? Injuries happen, sure, but when half your depth chart is sidelined before the season even starts, it raises red flags about durability and roster construction.

• Did the front office gamble too much on players with injury histories?

• Should they have invested more heavily in depth earlier in the offseason?

• Or is this just the cruel randomness of football rearing its head again?

Fans are right to wonder. Chicago has seen too many seasons derailed by thin depth at key positions. This one feels eerily familiar.

What Comes Next

The likely outcome is that at least one of the three tryout backs signs a short-term deal. From there, it’s a race against the clock to see if they can contribute anything meaningful in the final preseason game. Even if they don’t see much action Friday, it’s about giving the Bears enough warm bodies to survive camp and get to Week 1 with a functional roster.

Key Takeaways for Fans:

• Expect a signing soon, probably Freeman given his experience.

• Don’t be surprised if James or Johnson lands on the practice squad.

• Health updates on Swift, Roschon, and Monangai will matter way more than who the Bears bring in temporarily.

At the end of the day, Chicago’s running back hopes still hinge on their top guys getting back in action. Depth pieces can help carry the load, but nobody’s pretending a mid-August tryout is going to produce a star.

Final Thoughts

It’s a strange situation: the Bears are coming off a dominant preseason win that should have fans buzzing, but instead, the focus is on who’s left standing in the backfield. Injuries don’t care about momentum, and right now, they’re testing Chicago’s resilience.

Whether it’s Freeman reviving his career, James proving he belongs, or Johnson finally cracking a roster, at least these tryouts bring a little intrigue to an otherwise tough stretch. For now, the Bears’ mantra has to be simple: survive camp, get healthy, and hope the running back room stabilizes before Week 1.