NEWSLETTER
Jordan Howard snub season is over.
After being left off top-100 lists created by Pro Football Focus, CBS Sports, and NFL Network, the Chicago Bears’ lead running back has a home in Pro Football Weekly’s top 50 players for 2018. And I can’t imagine this was an easy list to crack, considering input from from various places, including league coaches, talent evaluators, and the site’s staff.
Howard slides in safely at No. 50 on the list. It’s certainly a well-deserved spot, one that likely cements his place as a top-10 running back in the league – at least by PFW’s standards.
Howard’s accolades are notable. No Bears running back has started his career with back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons before Howard did it in his first two years in the pros. Only two running backs have gained more yards on the ground than Howard has since debuting in the league in 2016, and you could certainly lock in Ezekiel Elliott and Le’Veon Bell in any list of the league’s best players. And even though Howard’s yards per carry dropped from 5.2 yards to 4.1, he still gained more than 1,100 yards and surpassed his rookie touchdown total by finding paydirt nine times.
Maybe other lists dinged Howard for his lack of production in the passing game. But if we’re looking to create a list of who we think will be the best players in 2018 will be, you have to figure a new offensive staff and scheme will whip Howard into shape and get him to be a serviceable player in the passing game. At minimum, we at least know that Howard is going to great lengths to improve on his pass-catching productivity.
If he can successfully do that, then this won’t be the last time we’ll be talking about Howard as one of the league’s best players.
