The Chicago Bears offense lacks any sort of pulse these days. Nothing seems to work. Most people are focused on the erratic passing game where Nick Foles continues to struggle. He can find open guys down the field and is getting hit way too often thanks to a porous offensive line. None of this is being helped by the running game where David Montgomery continues to underachieve. It is for this reason the team should consider bringing back Jordan Howard.
Confused? One can understand. The Bears traded Howard last year because he didn’t fit the profile of what head coach Matt Nagy wanted at that position. Namely his inability to be a credible threat in the passing game. Something Montgomery has at least proven better at. Yet it hasn’t done the team much good. They badly need a jolt on the ground. So why Howard?
Namely, because he was the beating heart of this offense.
Back in 2018 when the Bears offense actually functioned at a decent level, the primary component driving things was Howard. His steady presence in the running game allowed Mitch Trubisky to find open receivers. The team seemed to feed off him. As he went, they went. That was especially true down the stretch where he averaged 4.53 yards per carry in the final five games.
Even New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton said the week of the Super Bowl that the Bears made a mistake trading him. Now Howard is trapped in Miami, used for little more goal line duty and short-yardage situations. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com revealed that he is likely available for trade and the cost probably won’t be high.
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“Among the other possible names who could get traded if the right situation arises: Dolphins RB Jordan Howard has been the subject of some calls, while Bengals WR John Ross re-iterated his request to be traded this week. The Seahawks could part with TE Jacob Hollister especially if they need to shed some salary.”
Jordan Howard is worth more to the Bears than other teams
With Myles Gaskin being the focal point in Miami, the odds are good it wouldn’t take much to get Howard. No more than a conditional 7th round pick. GM Ryan Pace isn’t usually in the business of spending noteworthy resources on older running backs. Though to be fair Howard is still just 26-years old. He’ll be paid a little less than $2.5 million for the remainder of this season.
It’s acknowledged that Howard won’t solve the passing game issues but he can stabilize their ground game. One concern that has risen about Montgomery is his lack of vision. Several times there is film proof that he missed open opportunities on short runs. He seems like a back very much at the mercy of the blocking up front.
Howard found ways to make it work.
While not explosive or fast, one thing that always stood out about him was his vision. He had a great feel for where the openings would be and showed no hesitation getting through them. That is what the Bears need. It’s not an ideal fix but it is at least something. A combination of Howard and Montgomery could give Chicago a much stronger presence on the ground.
Presuming of course that head coach Matt Nagy would embrace any idea of running the football more often. Something that is hardly ever considered likely.
