Last year, during the run-up to free agency, the prospect of signing Giants running back Saquan Barkley appeared to ignite some Bears supporters.
The notion was that having Justin Fields and Barkley in the same backfield would divide opponents’ attention and make it easier to get huge chunks of yardage. It never occurred, and the Giants subsequently signed Barkley to a one-year, $11 million contract.
The $11 million sounds like a pittance for such a strong offensive weapon, but that is the life of a running back in a completely deflated market. Barkley is set to become a free agent again next season.
“I really don’t want to get to much into it because I don’t want to feel like I’m saying good-bye because, to be honest, a lot of this stuff is out of my control but I feel like I’ve got a lot left in the tank,” Barkley said in an interview with USA Today. “I believe that everything I want to achieve in my career is still out there, and I want to compete. I wish to participate. I want to win Super Bowls and titles. Those are absolutely aspirations of mine to pursue in the final stages of my career, which hopefully will occur next year.”
Everyone knows he might be a free agent. On Tuesday, Pro Football Focus published a list of the most likely landing locations for him. The Chicago Bears are a close second to his current team.
There are various reasons why this theory appears to be total fabrication.
IUSSUES WEIGHTED AGAINST IT.
For starters, GM Ryan Poles comes from the Chiefs, where the policy was and was to regard running backs as expendable players. Poles has yet to extend a running back contract, and Khalil Herbert’s contract expires in March 2025, giving the Bears’ general manager an opportunity to reverse this pattern.
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