New Bears Trade Target Emerges After Report About RB’s Availability

The Chicago Bears might have a new trade target to consider pursuing after the latest NFL insider report about the availability of a productive running back.

According to Fox Sports insider Jordan Schultz, the Washington Commanders have been “shopping” starting running back Brian Robinson Jr. to “teams around the NFL” on the market, an unexpected development given his place atop their depth chart.

“#Commanders RB Brian Robinson Jr. has been highly productive through his first three seasons — rushing for 2,300+ yards and scoring 20 TDs, all while coming back from being shot before his rookie year,” Schultz wrote Sunday night on X. “Washington likes its RB depth, but Robinson is available for the right price.”

Whether the “right price” is reasonable for the Bears is unclear, but it is worth a phone call to the Commanders to find out, if they think Robinson can be their missing piece.

Brian Robinson Jr. Would Bring Pop to Bears Offense

In terms of fit, Robinson would be an enticing addition for the Bears’ 2025 backfield.

At 6-foot-1 and 221 pounds, Robinson is a freight train who thrives in short-yardage and goal-line situations and seems happier running over his opponents than around them. He has rushed for 2,329 yards and 15 touchdowns on 570 carries over his first three seasons with the Commanders, achieving career-highs in rushing yards (799) and touchdowns (eight) during the 2024 season while splitting duties with Austin Ekeler.

In Chicago, Robinson would also be splitting carries, but he would be taking a smaller slice of the pie than Washington gave him in 2024. The Bears would likely deploy him as their power-rushing complement to Swift, bringing him in to change the pace similar to how head coach Ben Johnson used Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery in Detroit. His experience carrying a heavy workload for the Commanders also adds some security.

The Commanders’ asking price is the big question. Robinson’s experience could pique the interest of several teams on the trade market, but he is entering the final season of his rookie contract. Teams won’t fork over a big return for a potential one-year rental, even if they like Robinson’s chances of earning a contract extension before then.

The Bears would need to feel good about Robinson’s potential contributions for their offense first, but they could reasonably justify giving up a fifth-round pick to add him to their offense — if they believe they need more than what their roster currently offers.

Will Bears Add to Backfield Before Start of Season?

The Bears should want to get a pulse on Robinson’s situation with the Commanders if Schultz is correct about the team shopping him in trades. He is a talented young player at one of the weakest positions on their roster and could potentially provide an option for upgrading the unit before the start of their 2025 regular season on September 8.

Are the Bears still looking to upgrade at running back, though?

The Bears are three weeks away from their first game of the season and still have about the same backfield personnel group that they fielded in 2024. Swift remains the starter after rushing for 959 yards and six touchdowns (3.8 yards per carry) last season, while Roschon Johnson, Ian Wheeler, Travis Homer and Kyle Monangai — a seventh-round rookie draft pick — are all vying for roles behind him on the team’s 53-man roster.

Johnson, Monangai and Homer are the strongest candidates to make the rotation with roughly a week until the roster cutdown, but Wheeler seemingly improved his case in Sunday night’s preseason game against the Buffalo Bills, rushing for a team-high 80 yards and two touchdowns. Newcomer Brittain Brown (73 yards, 1 TD) also stood out.

When the competition is over, though, the Bears must decide if what the winners give them behind Swift is enough to power their offense through the season. And if they find that the answer is no, it may just turn them toward Robinson or another available back.