Well, I didn’t have this on my 2024 Chicago Bears BINGO card, but the Minnesota Vikings reportedly asked for Bears RB Khalil Herbert in a trade between division rivals. And that has me thinking about what could come for Herbert down the line.
But before we get into that, let’s dig into that Vikings-Bears trade report, which comes via Darren Wolfson of KSTP:
“So prior to the trade for Cam Akers, I’m led to believe the Vikings preferred Khalil Herbert of the Chicago Bears. Now maybe that’s, you know, diving into those speculative weeds a little bit. 100% confirmed, not reckless speculation, the Vikings had dialogue with Chicago, absolutely had interest in Herbert. So it wasn’t Cam Akers or bust. Now clearly the Bears wouldn’t do the parameters of the deal. The Vikings worked out with Houston.”
The Chicago Bears running game has found a working formula in recent weeks. And they’ve done so without Khalil Herbert. So, yeah, it makes sense that the Vikings would kick the tires on a possible Herbert trade. But because Minnesota is (1) a division rival and (2) in direct competition with the 4-2 Bears for a playoff spot, it is understandable why Chicago’s front office would turn down the Vikings’ overtures. Intradivisional trades are already difficult enough to pull off. But with both teams being well-positioned for a push to the postseason, any trade would have to yield more than a late-round pick (which is what Minnesota sent to Houston for Cam Akers earlier in the week).
What should the Bears do about Khalil Herbert?
This season, Khalil Herbert has appeared in a grand total of 27 offensive snaps (or just 7 percent of the team’s offensive plays). In the last two games, Herbert has seen the field on just six of a possible 141 plays run by Chicago’s offense (4 percent). Even knowing his shortcomings in pass protection and as a receiver out of the backfield, it’s a bit jarring to see the 26-year-old running back get phased out of the offense. After all, he’s just two seasons removed from averaging 5.7 yards per carry — which was the highest among running backs who played enough snaps to qualify for the rushing crown.
It is clear to me that the offensive coaching staff doesn’t value Khalil Herbert as much as the previous group of coaches. And when you consider the production from the other running backs in the rotation, you can understand how it has been tough for Herbert to carve out a niche.
D’Andre Swift is rolling. The splash free-agency signing has scored a touchdown in three consecutive games and averaged 4.8 yards per game in those contests. Fellow running back Roschon Johnson has also carved out a niche in the ground game, scoring three goal-line touchdowns since Week 4 as he began receiving a lion’s share of the short-yardage and goal-to-go carries. The Bears’ offense is humming. And the running backs have been key contributors. And yet, Khalil Herbert has provided virtually nothing. But I don’t think that means Herbert is without value.
Or to put that a different way, I can’t imagine the Vikings being the only team showing an interest in Khalil Herbert. With that in mind, perhaps the Bears could find a trade partner and recoup something of value before losing Herbert in free agency.
For instance, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell suggests trading the running back to the Dallas Cowboys for a 2025 sixth-round pick. The Cowboys offense hasn’t been what it was in the past and it is possible that adding juice in the form of a new running back could help. From the Bears’ perspective, getting a Day 3 pick might not be the best return. But it would be better than getting nothing for Herbert, which is what would happen if the team stuck with him through the end of this season before watching him walk away in free agency. HOWEVER …
My big hang-up in potentially dealing Khalil Herbert is that the Bears would risk being short-handed in the running backs room after the trade deadline. I have lost count of how many times running backs around the league have missed time while being dinged up by an injury. Often, it isn’t even a major injury. A bruise here, a nicked-up body part there, general soreness anywhere. It could be anything. I wouldn’t love it if the Bears traded Herbert and were left with Velus Jones Jr. as the team’s RB3.
Ultimately, I can understand it the Bears were hesitant to trade Herbert. D’Andre Swift has just one season under his belt as a feature back and Roschon Johnson has never had a full workload as an RB1 (remember, Roschon was splitting carries with Bijan Robinson at Texas). But if the right deal comes along, then I can see something getting hashed out. Stay tuned.