D’Onta Foreman to shoulder rushing load for Bears in Week 6 vs. Vikings

The Chicago Bears running back room is a mash unit right now. Starter Khalil Herbert was placed on injured reserve with an ankle injury Friday, and rookie Roschon Johnson has been ruled out of Week 6’s game as he continues to recover from a concussion he suffered against the Washington Commanders in Week 5.

As a result, veteran D’Onta Foreman will be charged with carrying the load at running back on Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings.

Foreman signed a free-agent contract with the Bears in the offseason after enjoying a career-year with the Carolina Panthers in 2022. He set career highs in carries (203), yards (914) and touchdowns (5) and averaged the highest yards per carry in his six years as a pro (4.5).

There’s no doubt Foreman can be a feature running back, even if it’s in a replacement capacity. The one-year, $2 million deal he signed with the Bears is (sort of) proof that the market for his services wasn’t very competitive. Perhaps it’s because he’s at the point in his career — he’s 27 years old — that no team views him as a player who can be the centerpiece of a running game, he appealed to the Bears because he wouldn’t have to be that guy.

Until now.

Foreman’s role as the unquestioned bell cow in the Chicago Bears’ backfield will be short-lived. Johnson should be back in Week 7, and the Bears have already established that they view the rookie fourth-rounder in higher regard than Foreman. Johnson will slide into the starter’s role, with Foreman being the “every third series” guy until Herbert returns.

Chicago Bears fans shouldn’t worry too much about the strength of the team’s rushing attack against the Vikings on Sunday. Foreman will move the chains and create chunk plays. In fact, he could look so good that he becomes a bigger factor in the running back rotation for the rest of the season.

Don’t be surprised if D’Onta Foreman tops 80 rushing yards and scores a touchdown at Soldier Field in Week 6. The Bears will ride him if he gets hot, and as he proved in Carolina last year, there’s a good chance he will.