The Latest Chicago Bears Rumor Might Be The Most Unexpected Yet

One thing about the NFL off-season is it will never be predictable. Players that seemed destined to be a lock on a roster suddenly become available even in the later months. Chicago Bears fans saw that with Khalil Mack a few years ago. Now it appears another big Las Vegas Raiders name is seeing his tenure looking more and more dicey. Josh Jacobs is unquestionably one of the best running backs in the NFL. He proved that last year with the best season of his career, racking up 1,653 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns.

The timing couldn't have been better, taking place in what was a contract year for him. Rather than offer a lucrative extension, the Raiders opted to franchise tag the 25-year-old. He didn't seem to take that too well. Reports surfaced this month that Jacobs plans to hold out of training camp. This has led to rumblings that Las Vegas may either rescind the tag and let him hit free agency or attempt to trade him. If either scenario happens, there is no shortage of teams that may be interested. Garrett Podell of CBS Sports sees Chicago as one of the top two likeliest landing spots.

He explained why.

"The reigning NFL rushing champion, who turned 25 in February, will hold out from the Raiders' training camp, which begins for veterans on July 25, should he not have a new deal by the July 17 4 p.m. E.T. deadline for franchise-tagged players to reach agreements on long-term extensions, according to Fox 5 Las Vegas' Paloma Villicana...

...With an NFL-high $32 million in cap space, the Bears have the dough to bring Jacobs to the Windy City. Chicago also has a need at the position after quarterback Justin Fields ran for 342 yards more than the Bears' second-leading rusher last season. Speaking of Fields, the Bears want to surround their young quarterback with more talented skill players, so the thought of Jacobs ending up in Chicago makes a lot of sense.

Along with giving him an elite running back, the addition of Jacobs would take some of the burden off of Fields to make plays with his feet."

The Chicago Bears have no reason to pursue Jacobs.

Now let's make this clear. There is no denying the All-Pro would instantly be the best player on the Bears' offense. However, he would also be one of the most expensive. It will take around $13 million per year or more to secure him to a long-term contract, not to mention the possible high draft choice needed to acquire him. Poles wasn't willing to pay David Montgomery less than half of that. The Bears already have two solid runners in Khalil Herbert and D'Onta Foreman, who are significantly cheaper even with their salaries combined.

That doesn't include rookie Roschon Johnson who has plenty of potential in his own right. The truth is the Chicago Bears don't need help in their running game. Barring injuries, this group should be plenty productive this coming season. Jacobs would be nothing more than a luxury acquisition, and those aren't the types this regime makes. It goes against GM Ryan Poles' philosophy of overpaying for veteran outside players, even great ones. It's a fun idea, but not one people should buy into.