4 pending Chicago Bears free agents who could return in 2023

The Chicago Bears could bring back David Montgomery

The hottest name on this list is going to be David Montgomery. The Montgomery situation is a strange one. He has been very productive but doesn’t bring that electric-play potential that other running backs have throughout the league. The combination of Montgomery and Khalil Herbert has been fantastic this season. Not to mention the emergence of Justin Fields’ running game. It will come down to whether Ryan Poles believe the team needs more of a homerun hitter or not.

One reason to bring Montgomery back would be for his presence as a pass-blocker. Khalil Herbert has struggled with that all season and it is hard to trust him back there. Now, it’s not worth keeping and paying a running back a large sum of money to have him block. However, Montgomery brings more than just blocking to the table. He has great balance and an ability to break tackles. He fights and gains those hard yards up the middle in a way that Herbert cannot. These two make a great pair that complement one another.

This season, Montgomery will not break 1,000 rushing yards, however, he is averaging 4.0 yards per carry — the second-best average of his career. He has five touchdowns on the ground and another through the air. The writing might be on the wall for Montgomery who only has 194 carries in 15 games — the lowest of his career.

He will likely cost between $6 and $8 million. Would you want Ryan Poles to pay Montgomery that much or look to make a splash by signing someone like Saquan Barkley should he hit free agency? Other names that are pending free agents at the position include Kareem Hunt, Josh Jacobs, Jamal Williams, Miles Sanders, Devin Singletary, James Robinson and Tony Pollard. Ryan Poles may look at these names and look elsewhere for 2023, or he could keep the guy who knows the system already in David Montgomery. This is a close call.