The Chicago Bears may not be the deepest team in the league, but the signing of D'Andre Swift and the continued development of short-yardage back Roschon Johnson has left them with a fairly deep running back room. Khalil Herbert could barely get on the field for Shane Waldron.
After giving Herbert permission to seek a trade right before the 2024 NFL Trade Deadline, it seemed obvious that Chicago was going to part ways with him. The Cincinnati Bengals, who are quite thin at running back, seem willing to give Herbert a second chance with an elevated role.
With Zack Moss out for quite a while due to a neck injury and Chase Brown eating up most of the snaps in the interim, Cincinnati was clearly in the market for a running back. Not only did they manage to acquire Herbert via a trade with the Bears, but they fleeced Ryan Poles while they were at it.
Chicago traded Herbert for just a 2025 seventh-round pick. While Herbert wasn't playing very much in a crowded backfield, Poles essentially giving him away for nothing seems like a huge indictment of his negotiating skills, especially with the RB market being so thin.
Bears to trade RB Khalil Herbert to Bengals for a 2025 7th-round draft pick. (via @TomPelissero) pic.twitter.com/Rc5cagHj36
— NFL (@NFL) November 5, 2024
Bears fleeced by Bengals as Khalil Herbert traded to Cincinnati
Very few running backs could be had via trade right now, and one of the more noteworthy names in Jaguars back Travis Etienne has seen his value crater this year. There's a good chance Herbert is the only running back moved, and Poles couldn't take advantage of that gap in the market.
Herbert has just eight carries for 16 yards this year, but that doesn't tell the whole story. In the last two seasons with Justin Fields at quarterback, Herbert piled up 1,343 yards (5.1 yards per carry) while scoring six touchdowns. In a better overall offense, Herbert might be able to get back on track.
While he won't be a bell cow in Cincinnati due to the recent emergence of Brown, going from a rookie in Caleb Williams to Joe Burrow and his 20 touchdown passes could be a better environment for a player who was a big play threat just a year ago.
The Bengals get a new RB2, while the Bears get a pick that will be used on a player with no guarantees of even being on the roster once the preseason is over. It's hard to look at this move and call Chicago a winner.