Bears Trade Pitch Sends Phased-Out RB to Super Bowl Contender
The Chicago Bears finally found success in the run game in Week 4 while leaving former starter Khalil Herbert on the bench, which begs the question: Is it time for the Bears to consider the trade options with the 26-year-old running back?
The Bears finished with a season-best 131 rushing yards against the Los Angeles Rams. Starter D’Andre Swift led the way with 93 rushing yards and a 36-yard touchdown run that marked the longest for the Bears since Velus Jones Jr. during the 2022 season.
Roschon Johnson also had seven carries for 27 yards and a touchdown, getting work as the Bears’ preferred short-yardage and goal-line back less than a week after offensive coordinator Shane Waldron specified Herbert held that role for the team’s offense. Both Johnson (55) and Swift (171) have both out-snapped Herbert (21) through four weeks.
The Bears might like Herbert’s value as injury insurance for Swift and Johnson as they look to keep rookie quarterback Caleb Williams in the best situation they can manage. If they aren’t going to find a regular role for him, though, perhaps it would make the most sense for both sides to find a trade partner for him before November 5’s trade deadline.
The Dallas Cowboys — averaging a league-worst 75.3 rushing yards per game through the first three weeks — would be a logical suitor for just about any young running back with starting experience on his resume. A more compelling possibility, however, could be the Kansas City Chiefs, who are without Isiah Pacheco for at least the next month.
Could Khalil Herbert Trade Net Bears a 5th-Round Pick?
Herbert might not have as much trade value as some people think. While he rushed for 1,791 yards and 9 touchdowns during his first three seasons with the Bears, teams might be wary about how much he can offer them considering how far he has fallen out of favor in Chicago. He is also a pending 2025 free agent and could be a half-year rental.
Realistically, a trade proposal for Herbert could look like this if the Chiefs wanted him:
Bears receive: 2025 seventh-round pick, 2026 seventh-round pick
Chiefs receive: RB Khalil Herbert
The Chiefs do not have a 2025 sixth-round pick, so the Bears would have to settle for a seventh-round selection in each of the next two drafts in this scenario. Then again, if the Chiefs grow desperate enough in Pacheco’s absence, Bears general manager Ryan Poles — who has friends in Kansas City’s front office — might be able to talk them up to a fifth if he is willing to package one of the Bears’ seventh-rounders with Herbert.
Now, the Chiefs may feel that Carson Steele, Samaje Perine and recently-signed Kareem Hunt are enough to hold down the fort until Pacheco comes back. Pacheco is not due to return from his fibula injury until November at the earliest, but he intends to return for the two-time Super Bowl champions in 2024. The Chiefs may also be more interested in trading for a wide receiver amid injuries to Rashee Rice and Hollywood Brown.