GM Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus wanted an upgrade at running back going into the 2024 off-season. Their committee approach had worked fine the previous two years, but the electric mobility of Justin Fields had aided that. They'd need to fortify the ground attack if they wanted to help Caleb Williams become a better pocket passer. That is why the Chicago Bears decided to make a determined push to sign Pro Bowler Saquon Barkley, who was leaving New York.
Rumors indicated they made a strong offer and were in the running right until the end. As we all know, he ended up with the Philadelphia Eagles, where he was just the ninth player in history to crack 2,000 yards rushing in a season while guiding them to the Super Bowl. He was finally asked how close he came to joining the Bears last March. His answer was impossible to misinterpret.
“Pretty damn close,” he said.
So what happened? A source told SM that money wasn't the issue. Chicago was ready to match anything the Eagles offered. It came down to the fact he grew up in Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania. He wanted to go home.
Saquon Barkley proves the human factor matters in free agency.
Nobody can say the Bears didn't try. They were fully prepared to make the All-Pro the third-highest-paid running back in NFL history. Alas, it wasn't meant to be. Philadelphia had location and a winning track record on their side. Saquon Barkley made the understandable decision. Chicago ended up signing D'Andre Swift instead. Though he had nothing close to the same impact as Barkley, he still managed 1,345 yards from scrimmage and six touchdowns. So you can't say that was a failure. It is hard not to imagine how different things might've been if Barkley had come to Chicago. The running game would've likely been more effective, and maybe they would have won some of those close games they were in.
In hindsight, that would have saved Eberflus' job. So maybe things happen for a reason. Chicago ended up landing Ben Johnson as their new head coach, and the upcoming 2025 draft is stacked at running back. Provided they allocate their resources correctly, the running game will be fine.
