It soon might be Roschon Johnson’s time to shine in the Chicago Bears backfield.
In a collection of quick hitters found in his Wednesday insider column at ESPN, NFL insider Jeremy Fowler shares an anecdote about the possibility of Johnson seeing more playing time soon. And by soon, I mean starting in Week 4 when the Bears play host to the Los Angeles Rams at Soldier Field:
Watch for Bears running back Roschon Johnson to possibly get an extended look this week. Chicago has struggled mightily to run the ball and turned to Johnson, more of a bruiser, for eight carries in Week 3 vs. the Colts. The Bears need to get downhill faster.
After being inactive in Chicago’s Week 1 win against the Tennessee Titans and not logging any offensive snaps in the team’s Week 2 loss versus the Houston Texans, Johnson had 12 touches (8 carries, 4 receptions), and gained 62 scrimmage yards as he appeared on 37 percent of the team’s offensive plays in Week 3 against the Indianapolis Colts. No, a 3.8 yards per carry average isn’t much to write home about. But Johnson ran aggressively and with purpose in Indy, and the Bears could use more of that moving forward.
Roschon Johnson might be seeing even more playing time in Week 4
I was high on Johnson when the Bears drafted him in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. This is what I had to say about him at the time:
Roschon Johnsonโs profile reminds me of David Montgomery in that he does so many little things well. And he does it in an aesthetically pleasing way. Yes, highlights and sizzle reels are designed to make players look good. But Roschonโs running style is visually pleasing. Plus, he chips in as a blocker and pass-catcher out of the backfield, meaning he isnโt one-dimensional. On top of all that, Johnson is a special teams contributor in multiple facets. All of this adds up to a player whose some of his parts are greater than the whole.
MORE: Everything You Need to Know About Bears 2023 Fourth-Round Pick Roschon Johnson
The D’Andre Swift thing isn’t working out right now. This isn’t to say that it can’t still work out in the future. But Offensive Coordinator Shane Waldron needs to deploy the free-agent addition better than he has through the first three games of this season. As for Swift, he needs to read his blocks better and make quicker (and better) decisions when hitting the hole after handoffs. And it wouldn’t hurt to hold onto screen passes on the rare occasions when blocks actually get set up in front of him.
I still believe in Khalil Herbert and his ability to get moving downhill. But his pass protection, route-running, and receiving skills are still not where they need to be for him to be the type of threat in all facets out of the backfield. Hence, his role remains limited until further notice.
This leaves Roschon Johnson, a do-it-all back who has held his own as a ball carrier, pass-blocker, and receiver out of the backfield. With all due respect to the other backs in the rotation, I’m ready to put them on the back burner to see what Johnson can do with an expanded opportunity.
My BN Bears teammate Patrick has been banging the drum for Roschon Johnson to get an uptick in touches. And it sure sounds like he will get his wish. Frankly, I’m glad. Johnson was the Bears’ best running back last week. Plus, he seems to do a lot of things well. Maybe Roschon’s speed, acceleration, and athleticism don’t pop off the screen. But when you do a bunch of things well enough, that stuff will add up. Perhaps we’ll see an increase in playing time for the second-year running back result in a better overall offensive performance for Chicago’s football team.