As the Chicago Bears going through OTA practices and fans checking out all of the latest videos from reporters or the team account, some might have noticed videos of the running back room posted recently.
It has to have fans thinking ahead, even beyond the 2026 season, in some fashion. The Bears' running back room will see D'Andre Swift hit free agency in 2027 as his contract is up, leaving Kyle Monangai without a running mate.
The Bears' running back room is going to need another back next year, but what happened to Roschon Johnson? The hype around him, after being drafted, has long gone. Chicago might even need an upgrade at RB3 this year.
That's where we could look at one trade candidate with the San Francisco 49ers: 2024 fourth-round pick Isaac Guerendo.
Isaac Guerendo is the perfect Bears running back trade target
Guerendo came into the league as a backup but posted 84 carries for 420 yards and four touchdowns as a rookie. He also caught 15 passes for 152 yards that year. The glimpse of Guerendo led 49ers fans to think he could be the real RB2 to Christian McCaffrey and eventually take on a bigger role alongside the All-Pro.
But then, a strange thing happened in 2025. Kyle Shanahan opted to give Guerendo exactly ... zero carries. Yep, you read that right.
The craziest part is that Guerendo was healthy. He appeared in 14 games but didn't receive a single carry, not even one target in the passing game, either. Instead, he only played special teams.
Turning 26 years old later in June, Guerendo now enters Year 3 with a 49ers team that opted to draft yet another running back in Kaelon Black this year. For lack of a better explanation, you could simply say that Guerendo has been left for dead.
But Shanahan does things like this. He filters through backup running backs like it's his day job. Having gone through guys like Guerendo, Jordan James, Trey Sermon, Elijah Mitchell, Jeff Wilson, Matt Breida, and Raheem Mostert, Shanahan is pivoting again with the Black pick.
What does that mean for Guerendo? It might just mean the 49ers would be more than willing to move on, and for a lower price than he would've come last year.
If the Bears were to deal a seventh-rounder for Guerendo, they'd have even more reason to move on from Johnson as a failed fourth-rounder. What's more exciting is the idea that Guerendo could be paired with Monangai in 2027 to form another one-two punch.
Guerendo possesses 4.3 speed, a near-42-inch vertical, and toughness to be a true lead back if given the opportunity. What happened in San Francisco might forever be a mystery, but it could also be Shanahan being Shanahan.
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The Bears could toss a trade out there for Guerendo right now, or they might even be able to wait until roster cuts later this summer. Regardless, he'd be a fun fit under Ben Johnson.
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