We are only eight days into the Chicago Bears offseason and there are already rumors floating about potential fits for the 2026 team. And while it is far too early to do any meaningful deep dives, the emergence of rumors connecting the Bears and running back Travis Etienne Jr. provide us with an opportunity to start getting familiar with some players NFL insiders believe could be on Chicago’s radar this offseason.
Troy Pauline, who is now writing at Essentially Sports, shares that latest on what he has heard from league sources. Among the scoops he shares is something he has heard about the Bears being a suitor for Travis Etienne Jr., a running back for the Jacksonville Jaguars who is on the cusp of free agency. This is what Pauline had to say:
League insiders have long believed the Chicago Bears will be suitors for Etienne if he hits free agency. This is despite having a solid 1-2 punch with D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai.
Swift has one year remaining on his deal, though the Bears can opt out, and Monangai is just a second-year player.
While some will see Etienne for Swift as an even swap, sources say the Jags running back is a better fit for Liam Coen’s offense, as he’s much more of a pass-catching threat.
How the Bears address the running back position this offseason is something I’ve been kicking around my head since the season ended. But it wasn’t high on my priority list. And neither was Travis Etienne as a possible target in free agency. However, now that the connection has been made, we might as well do a little digging into a potential fit.
© Peter van den Berg-Imagn ImagesIs Travis Etienne a fit for the 2026 Chicago Bears?
Travis Etienne Jr. was a first-round pick (25th overall) by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2021 NFL Draft. The 27-year-old running back is coming off what is arguably his most productive season as a pro. Etienne ran for 1,107 yards on 260 carries and scored seven rushing touchdowns. He also added 36 catches, 292 receiving yards, and six touchdown grabs. The 13 total touchdowns represent a career high for the Clemson product, while his 1,399 scrimmage yards were his most since picking up 1,484 in 2023. Etienne is a well-rounded back who could make sense as a Bears offseason target. But there is a but…
The Bears already have a two-headed running back tandem with D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai. And it was a good one, too. Swift set new career highs in rushing yards (1,087) and ground scores (9) while posting a 4.9 yards per carry average that represents his best showing since 2022 when he was with the Detroit Lions. Meanwhile, Monangai ran for 783 yards and scored five touchdowns as a rookie.
Monangai has work to do as a pass-catcher, to be sure. But he had his moments and I am looking forward to seeing what an offseason of training can do for one of the members of what Pro Football Focus deemed to be the highest-graded 2025 NFL Draft class. As for Swift, entering the final year of his contract makes figuring out his future with the team tricky. All things considered, I understand wanting to upgrade at the position if possible. However, I’m not sure if turning to Travis Etienne wouldn’t be a lateral move for this offense after analyzing how Swift and Monangai performed in Year 1 in Bears Head Coach Ben Johnson’s scheme.
Even if Travis Etienne Jr. made it to free agency and the Bears had interest, they would need to clear some cap space in order to fit him onto their roster. The most logical move that would come before an Etienne pursuit would be to cut Swift. If Chicago’s front office were to pull that lever, it would create $7.47 million in cap space while costing the team a dead money hit of just $1.333 million. Even still … the Bears would need to make other moves to get under the projected 2026 NFL salary cap.
Over The Cap’s current forecast has Chicago aat $17.396 million over the cap as of this posting. Considering the team’s needs elsewhere, I would have questions about investing cap space in a running back — even one with Travis Etienne Jr.’s talent and upside. In any case, we will keep an eye on this situation to see what develops. I figure this won’t be the last time the Bears are connected to a high-profile free-agent-to-be this offseason.
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