The Bears are bringing back running back Artavis Pierce to the practice squad, according to The Athletic‘s Kevin Fishbain. Pierce was a free agent and figures to rejoin given the opportunity for playing time.
That gives the Bears two running backs on the practice squad in Pierce and Ryan Nall, one of whom figures to be elevated to the active roster assuming Montgomery is placed on short-term injured reserve at some point within the next couple of days.
Artavis Pierce is returning to the Bears and signing with the practice squad, per source. He adds to the RB depth as everyone moves up a spot with David Montgomery out.
With Montgomery sidelined, it’ll be Damien Williams and rookie Khalil Herbert getting the reps at running back, and they’re certainly solid depth. It’s not ideal to lose Montgomery, the team’s best offensive player, but it helps to have depth.
Chicago also traded for wide receiver Jakeem Grant, sending a 2023 sixth-round pick to the Dolphins in exchange. Grant figures to assume a big role on special teams, especially given Herbert’s role figures to serve mostly offense as Williams’ backup with Montgomery sidelined.
From Justin Fields’ readiness to an offensive line that’s a work in progress, here are our takeaways from the Bears’ offense this preseason.
The 2021 preseason for the Chicago Bears began and wrapped up faster than Justin Fields sprinting for a first down. The Bears went 2-1 in the new shortened preseason and gave fans a chance to see the rookie quarterback in action, along with the rest of head coach Matt Nagy’s offense.
During the three games, we saw some good from each position, along with some bad, and unfortunately some ugly. But these games don’t count in the stands and the best measure of success is seeing young players progress and grow while making sure nobody gets seriously injured in the process. It’s fair to say the Bears accomplished both of those goals for quite a few players when it comes to the offense, even if the results sometimes don’t show it.
There’s plenty to digest from the entire preseason, but here are my takeaways when it comes to the Bears offense.
Through two weeks of preseason, here’s how the Bears rookie class has performed.
With two weeks of preseason in the books, there’s plenty to like about the Chicago Bears rookie class.
There’s been plenty of opportunities for young players to make an impact, and we’ve seen that with a few, notably quarterback Justin Fields and nose tackle Khyiris Tonga.
With a bulk of starters likely to sit out Saturday’s preseason finale against the Titans, it’ll provide even more opportunities for these rookies to make a lasting impression heading into the final round of roster cuts next Tuesday.
Here’s a look at how Chicago’s rookie class ranks through the first two preseason games:
Bears rookie RB Khalil Herbert scored a 13-yard touchdown run in the 4th quarter.
The Chicago Bears rookie running back Khalil Herbert has had a productive preseason and camp so far and finally found the endzone in his second game.
In the early moments of the fourth quarter, Herbert took a handoff from fellow rookie Justin Fields and burst up the middle right into the end zone for a 13-yard touchdown. The play was setup thanks to a roughing the passer call on Fields that saw him take a scary hit and lose his helmet in the process.
From Justin Fields getting reps with the starters to Jaylon Johnson’s big day, here’s what we learned from Monday’s practice.
The Chicago Bears returned to the practice field Monday at Halas Hall following Saturday’s preseason win against the Miami Dolphins.
Following Justin Fields’ impressive debut, all eyes were on the quarterbacks and whether Fields was seeing any reps with the first-team offense. But it was the defense that dominated Monday’s practice, which included an appearance from the takeaway bucket on several occasions.
Following Monday’s practice, here’s a look at what we learned from Day 14 of training camp:
Check out this stat line and ask yourself if it reads like an NFL running back who’s an injury away from starting:
Six seasons, two (now three) teams, 85 games, 294 carries, 1,231 yards, and 12 touchdowns.
That’s the career box score for the Bears’ top backup running back, Damien Williams, whose best season totaled 498 yards and five touchdowns in 11 games with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2019.
Williams opted out of the 2020 season but his days as the Chiefs’ starter were numbered anyway. He was expected to take a back seat to 2020 first-round pick, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, had he played last year.
Williams was released by Kansas City on March 16 and signed by the Bears to a one-year deal 10 days later.
At this point in Williams’ career, it’s fair to call him a journeyman depth player who’s proven he’s capable of spot-starting duty or the occasional big play, but is there enough on his resume to justify some of the offseason chatter that’s gone as far as to suggest he could chip away at David Montgomery’s workload?
Simply put, no.
The Williams hype has been nothing more than the classic kneejerk reaction that follows offseason signings. Add the fact that Tarik Cohen is still hobbled by the torn ACL he suffered last season and the lack of any other established running back on the roster, and the expectations surrounding Williams have become irrationally high.
In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me one bit if Williams is outplayed this preseason by rookie Khalil Herbert, who the Bears selected in the sixth round from Virginia Tech.
It’d be a wise business strategy to anoint the rookie — who’s on a rookie contract — to the top reserve spot instead of a veteran playing on a one-year deal and likely looking for another payday in 2022. More importantly, Herbert is a talented runner who if given NFL reps to season his game has the upside to mature into a quality RB2.
Herbert transferred to Va Tech in 2020 after spending the majority of his collegiate career at Kansas. He totaled 475 carries for 2,918 yards and 22 touchdowns in a little over four seasons. His yards-per-carry was an impressive 6.1 over that span.
Herbert’s breakout year came in 2020 when he totaled 1,183 yards and eight scores for the Hokies, including an incredible 7.6 yards per rush.
Herbert’s skill set is intriguing, to say the least. He checked in at 5’9 and 210 pounds during the run-up to the 2021 draft and was touted as a prospect with a good blend of vision and power. He recorded a 4.46 40-yard dash at his Virginia Tech pro day and proved with his athletic numbers that he checks almost every box to be a legitimate pro running back.
Herbert is exactly six years younger than Williams, too, and could pair with Montgomery to form a fantastic young duo in Chicago’s backfield.
Obviously, the preseason will go a long way in deciding just how involved Herbert is in the Bears’ offense this year. His range of potential outcomes is wide; he can just as easily be a practice squad player as he can be the first man off the bench, which is why August football is so fantastic to watch.
Herbert has already worked himself into the third spot on the running back depth chart, albeit because Cohen is still out with his knee injury. Still, he’s surpassed players like Artavis Pierce, who got some run in 2020, and Ryan Nall, who’s been in the program for several seasons.
It may not be long before Herbert passes Williams too.
The Bears have released their first unofficial depth chart ahead of their preseason opener, and there was plenty to unpack.
The Chicago Bears released their first unofficial depth chart ahead of their preseason opener against the Miami Dolphins. But before the Bears and Dolphins square off on Saturday at Soldier Field, the two will hold a couple of joint practices at Halas Hall.
When looking at Chicago’s first unofficial depth chart, there are some things that aren’t much of a surprise — Andy Dalton being listed as the starting quarterback and the Bears’ top wide receivers listed as Allen Robinson, Darnell Mooney and Marquise Goodwin. But there are also plenty of surprises.
Here’s what we learned from the Bears’ first unofficial depth chart:
There’s a ton of excitement surrounding the Bears’ 2021 rookie class. Here are the most intriguing rookies to watch at training camp.
There’s a ton of excitement surrounding the Chicago Bears’ 2021 rookie class, which is headlined by quarterback Justin Fields and offensive tackle Teven Jenkins.
While general manager Ryan Pace has made questionable decisions this offseason, the 2021 NFL draft was the highlight of his offseason and arguably the best draft of his seven-year tenure, at least on paper.
As the Bears prepare for training camp later this month, this class of rookies has a lot to prove and learn ahead of some valuable preseason action in August.
Here’s a look at the six most intriguing Bears rookies to watch during training camp:
Here is one player to watch at each offensive position group at Bears training camp.
There’s a lot of intrigue and excitement heading into Bears training camp this season, which has a lot to do with the new talent on the roster, namely quarterback Justin Fields.
But there are also several positional battles that will be at the forefront, where roster spots will be won and lost. Given the hype surrounding this 2021 rookie class, there will be a lot of attention on the rookies, quite of few of whom have a chance to serve a significant role this season.
Following another disappointing season from Matt Nagy’s offense, all eyes will be on that unit, where there is no shortage of talent.
Here is one player to watch at each offensive position group at Bears training camp:
Chicago Bears RB Khalil Herbert was viewed as a Day-3 steal in the 2021 NFL draft, and some pre-draft scouting reports reveal why.
Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields (1) and running back Khalil Herbert (24) participate in drills during the NFL football team’s rookie minicamp Friday, May, 14, 2021, in Lake Forest Ill. (AP Photo/David Banks, Pool)
The Chicago Bears’ selection of former Virginia Tech running back Khalil Herbert in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft earned high marks from draft analysts across the internet who viewed the Hokies offensive weapon as a very good value pick in the later portion of Day 3.
Herbert now has an opportunity to earn a significant role in the Bears’ offense as Montgomery’s primary backup. It’s a role that will be one of the more competitive training camp battles this summer.
Here’s what some of the pre-draft scouting reports said about Herbert leading up to the 2021 draft.
