Bears linked to pass-catching running back in latest ESPN trade projection

While most NFL analysts assume the Chicago Bears have a running back problem, the reality is they don’t.

And it’s not because D’Andre Swift or Roschon Johnson are the answer for Ben Johnson’s rushing attack in 2025. Instead, the Bears will have no shortage of options to upgrade their rushing attack before the season kicks off, if GM Ryan Poles feels like Swift and company can’t carry the load.

For example, take the latest trade projection by ESPN. In this three-team deal, the Bears land Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Rachaad White.

“Swift posted a remarkably poor negative-174 rush yards over expectation, per NFL Next Gen Stats, which was the worst total of any player last season,” ESPN’s Seth Walder wrote. “It marked the third season out of the past four in which Swift recorded negative rush yards over expectation; he posted negative first downs over expectation in all four of those seasons.

“White, in contrast, added 48 rush yards over expectation on 144 carries last season in Tampa Bay. And he’s elite in the pass game, with the second-best overall receiver score over the past three seasons combined — behind only Christian McCaffrey and one spot ahead of Austin Ekeler,” Walder continued. “That sounds like the kind of player Johnson could employ to great effect — like he did with Jahmyr Gibbs in Detroit.”

White would certainly be a logical target for the Chicago Bears, but the cost to acquire him in this hypothetical three-team deal seems a bit steep.

The Bears end up sending Swift, a fifth-round pick, and a sixth-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft for White and a seventh-round pick.

Is White really that much of an upgrade over D’Andre Swift to give up a fifth- and sixth-round pick for? It’s not a slam-dunk, yes.

Remember: Swift and White are the same age (26) entering the 2025 season. They’re literally just two days apart. So, it’s not like the Bears would be getting any younger by adding White to their backfield. And, from a business perspective, White is entering a contract year. Swift, meanwhile, is under contract through the 2026 season.

Rachaad White ended the 2024 season with 144 carries for 613 yards and three touchdowns. While his 4.3 yards per carry was the best of his career, he fell behind Bucky Irving on Tampa Bay’s depth chart.

As a result, he could be a trade target for running back-needy teams.

Indeed, the Chicago Bears need one of their running backs to step up early in the 2025 NFL season. But that’s the point, right? They need one of their running backs to step up. It doesn’t appear like Rachaad White, or any other ‘outside’ option, will fill Chicago’s backfield void.

If, of course, there even is one.