The Chicago Bears have been looking into bringing in another running back to the roster as they have found their guy. It's not a player Bears fans thought it would be, though.
CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz reported the Bears are expected to sign Brittain Brown to the roster. The transaction is expected to become official after the team's preseason matchup with the Miami Dolphins.
The #Bears are expected to sign running back Brittain Brown, sources tell @CBSSports.
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) August 10, 2025
Was a 2022 draft pick of the Raiders and spent last year on the Seahawks’ practice squad. Posted 2,284 career rushing yards in college at a combination of UCLA and Duke. pic.twitter.com/jYBL2989IY
This is a different outcome from what fans expected, as the team had brought in former Detroit Lions running back Jamaal Williams for a workout Saturday. That was the signing people thought it would be, as Williams and Bears' new head coach Ben Johnson have previously worked together in Detroit.
What Brown brings to the Bears and why Williams wasn't signed instead
Brown is a former seventh-round pick of the Las Vegas Raiders back in 2023. He appeared in six games with the Raiders that year, but all his snaps were on special teams. Last year, Brown spent most of the season on the Seattle Seahawks' practice squad.
Entering his new tenure with the Bears, Brown is going to have to work hard to make the final roster. The Bears already have D'Andre Swift, Roschon Johnson, Kyle Monangai, and Travis Homer as the top backs. Brown's role might be as simple as being a training camp body that can play preseason games until the end and possibly earn a spot on the practice squad.
Many Bears fans were expecting Williams to sign with the team due to his best season and only 1,000-yard season being under Ben Johnson as head coach. Williams added 17 rushing touchdowns to that 2022 season, where he ran for 1,066 yards.
It would have been a perfect fit for Williams, but some have to wonder why the Bears didn't go for it. The truth is, Swift will get a lot of the carries, and Roschon Johnson is already the team's power back. Monangai is the future of the backfield, so there isn't much room for Williams there to play.
Williams might not have made it on the final 53-man roster since he's behind with the playbook and needs to get back into shape. If this workout had made the final 53-man roster since it happened a month ago, it might be a different story.
Read more: Unexpected Bears player's success in preseason could lead to higher trade value
Some fans might be disappointed in not landing Williams, but the Bears' backfield is still solid going into 2025.