Poles stays busy as Chicago searches for more RB help

Thomas Shea - USA Today Sports

Dustin Riese · Senior Writer · 21 minutes ago

No matter how this season ends for the Chicago Bears, one thing is for sure. The future is bright for this team, as they have the right man in charge. Going a bit further than that, you can claim that they have the right tandem leading the Bears, as both Ryan Poles and Ben Johnson appear to be on the same page about what they want.

On one hand, you have Johnson establishing a winning culture that hasn't been at Halas Hall in years, while also holding players and coaches accountable for their mistakes. On the other hand, you have a GM who has faced his share of criticism over the years but has responded in a big way by building a competitive roster with depth.

That is one thing you have to give Poles a ton of credit for: the Bears have been one of the more injured teams in the NFL this season, yet have continued to find new ways to win games. A lot of that stems from the depth Poles has built up this season, as he was one of the more active GMs this offseason, and it carried over into the regular season.

Adding CJ Gardner-Johnson was not only a surprise move by the Bears, but a massive move for a team that was hampered in the secondary and seemingly didn't have any options. You have seen that, across the board, with this roster, as Poles has continued to scour the free-agent market for talent he can stash on the Practice squad as an insurance policy.

According to reports, Poles nearly added another surprise pickup to the practice squad only to see that player ultimately land with the Kansas City Chiefs. After it was revealed that Roschon Johnson would be out for Sunday with an injury and possibly hitting the IR, Brittain Brown was called back up to the active roster, opening up a running back spot on the practice squad.

Although the Bears never filled that void, at least not yet, it didn't come without trying, as Poles did contact former Houston Texans back Dameon Pierce and actually made him a formal offer before he wound up taking the Chiefs' offer. The 25-year-old Pierce has had quite an NFL journey thus far, becoming a fourth-round pick of the Houston Texans in the 2022 draft.

From the moment he stepped on the field that season, Pierce not only looked to be one of the steals of the draft, but also found himself in the running for rookie of the year that season, racking up 939 yards rushing and 1104 scrimmage yards in 13 games. He came away with five touchdowns that season, showing what he could do and appearing to be the running back of the future for the Texans.

As is the case with any NFL player, injuries can take a toll on you, and Pierce has been hampered by injuries the past three seasons, which have limited him to what he has been able to do on the field. While he played in 14 games in 2023, his production was nowhere near what it was the year prior, as he finished that season with 416 yards and 2 scores, adding another 101 yards receiving.

In 2024, it was the same story: Pierce found himself the third-string back for the Texans, appearing in 11 games and totaling 293 yards and two scores. With Joe Mixon out of the lineup this season with a foot injury, a lot of people thought Pierce was poised to have a bounce-back season, as an increase in touches was expected.

Instead, his sudden fall from the top has reached free-fall mode as Pierce has appeared in just four games this season, picking up 26 yards and one score on 10 rush attempts. That alone is all the evidence you need to see that his time in Houston was all but over, as the addition of Nick Chubb made things that much harder for him to see the field.

While the running back room may not seem like an issue anymore when you look at the production from D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai as of late, the Bears aren't going to shy away from adding someone should they feel that player can bring value to this team. Guys like Gus Edwards, Ezekiel Elliott, Zack Moss, and Jamaal Williams are all options to consider, but they may not want practice squad roles this late in their careers.

Preseason standout Ian Wheeler is another option for the Bears, as it is only a matter of time until someone gives him an opportunity. Either way, Poles is going to be active all the way up until week 18, which is what great GMs tend to do.