Should the Bears Pursue RB Austin Ekeler?

The Chicago Bears are in an outstanding position to add a legitimate difference-maker at running back during next week’s unrestricted free agency period. General manager Ryan Poles possesses a flexible $63.2 million in effective cap space according to OverTheCap. The Bears rank fourth in the league in effective cap space, which OverTheCap calculates by projecting the leftover money required for summer additions and a draft class.

That’s enough money for Poles to aggressively pursue upgrades. The free-agent running back class is arguably an all-timer. It’s currently set to feature Derrick Henry, Josh Jacobs, Tony Pollard, and Saquon Barkley, to name a few, some of whom the Bears have already been linked with. Austin Ekeler is another member of the free agency class the Bears should strongly consider pursuing.

Whether it’s Justin Fields or Caleb Williams at quarterback next season, improving the ground-game production is a necessity for the Bears offense. Fields led the team in rushing yards throughout the 2023 campaign with 657 yards gained. That requires adjusting if Chicago is to take the desired step forward.

Perhaps it’s time for the Bears to end their running-back-by-committee approach. The trio of Roschon Johnson, Khalil Herbert, and D’Onta Foreman combined to average 4.3 yards per carry. Foreman is an unrestricted free agent and averaged a position-high 12.1 carries per game last season. His potential departure could use replacing.

The Chargers and Ekeler failed to reach an agreement on a contract extension. Despite playing with that distraction, Ekeler was still an effective dual-threat back throughout the 2023 season. Playing through an injury that limited him to 14 regular-season appearances, Ekeler still produced 1,064 total yards as a runner and pass catcher. That’s admittedly a level below his standards, but perhaps it means he’ll be available on a bit of a discount when the legal tampering period begins on Monday.

Ekeler has a profound impact on an offense. His ability to run routes out of the backfield makes him a QB-friendly target. If it’s Williams under center in 2024, he’ll appreciate having a seasoned backfield veteran like Ekeler he can lean on while acclimating to NFL football. New offensive coordinator Shane Waldron would quickly make Ekeler a focal point of his offense.

Spotrac projects Ekeler to sign a three-year contract worth $22.3 million. That would pay Ekeler a manageable annual salary of $7.4 million, and Poles could lower Ekeler’s 2024 cap hit to under $5 million through a multi-year agreement. That would provide Poles with plenty of flexibility to sign impact players elsewhere while simultaneously solving the Bears’ run-game woes.