The Chicago Bears hung on to beat the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, in Caleb Williams' return to action. The run game was not at its typical proficiency, with Kyle Monangai missing a second straight game due to thumb and toe issues, but D'Andre Swift and Roschon Johnson combined for three touchdowns on the ground.
Johnson has stepped into Monangai's role alongside Swift. He led the Bears in rushing against Atlanta with 51 yards, and he added two catches for 34 yards. Over the two games Monangai has missed, Johnson has seven receptions for 68 yards on nine total targets.
Bears head coach Ben Johnson has said Monangai is not a candidate to be placed on IR. But with a short turnaround before taking on the New England Patriots Thursday night, it's safe to assume the second-year man will miss a third straight game in Week 7.
So Roschon Johnson should have one more game with a noticeable role in the Bears' backfield, and the short week could bring a bump in his role if Swift is playing through an injury.
Roschon Johnson is making himself into a trade asset at the perfect time
As their No. 3 running back, with no path to a notable offensive role if Swift and Monangai are both healthy, it has felt like the Bears are just stuck with Johnson. He is highly valued as a special teamer, which has kept him around when he otherwise might have been cut, but in the final year of his rookie contract, he had been what can kindly be called a stagnant asset.
Johnson's touchdown run gave the Bears what felt like an insurmountable 28-7 lead over the Falcons. After Atlanta had captured a bit of momentum with a touchdown and a two-point conversion to make the score 31-15, a lengthy, clock-killing drive would've been nice.
After a nine-yard run on that ensuing drive for the Bears, visions of Johnson as a trade asset once Monangai is healthy might've danced in the heads of some fans. Then he fumbled on the next play to instantly squash that buzz, though it was a nice play by Falcons safety Jessie Bates.
The fumble was not ideal, particularly in light of the ball security concerns Swift has had, but Johnson is proving he can handle a bigger offensive role when called upon. Is he a workhorse back? No. Is he a capable goal-line back, with some sneaky ability in the passing game? Absolutely.
Let's assume the ship has already sailed on him playing Week 7 due to the short week. But if Monangai is ready to go for Week 8, with even a little more time to get it right since the Bears play Monday night against the Seattle Seahawks that week, Johnson would go back to being a non-entity to the offense as the RB3.
Other teams may be looking to bolster their running back depth, and the Bears have options on the practice squad (Zavier Scott and Salvon Ahmed) to fill their RB3 spot if trading Johnson becomes viable.
Read more: Ben Johnson offers vague update as Kyler Gordon's activation window nears end
Solid indications Monangai will be available for Week 8 are the most important layer of the situation. But the time for general manager Ryan Poles to strike at a peak in Johnson's trade value, if there is one to take advantage of, looks to be after the Patriots' game during the extra time between games.
Add us as a preferred source on Google