The Chicago Bears have been speculatively shopping running back Jordan Howard this offseason, and when head coach Matt Nagy was asked about Howard, he took somewhat of a coy approach.
Howard has been said to be in trade discussions for a while now, but as the 2019 NFL Draft draws near it could become a stronger possibility for Howard to be traded. Oddly enough, Howard has had a fairly successful career so far considering he is just now entering his fourth season. So why would the Bears trade him?
In Howard’s 2016 rookie season, he made the Pro Bowl and rushed for a surprising 1,303 yards across 15 games (13 in which he was the starter). Howard rushed for 1,122 yards in 2017 and 935 in 2018, so the trade talks are a bit odd. However, the organization likely recognizes they could get a solid haul for Howard but are probably seeking draft picks in return.
Howard’s teammate and fellow running back Tarik Cohen appears to be more along the lines of the type of player the Bears wish to feature in their offense. Howard is a fantastic talent, but the Bears likely feel they can use Cohen more exclusively and use other running backs to play a role similar to Howard’s.
In contrast to Cohen’s skill set, Howard runs with a thunderous style and has speed in the open field. While Cohen is the team’s proverbial Swiss army knife due to his versatility in the backfield and special teams, Howard has played a crucial role as well. It will be interesting to see how the Bears choose to play out this offseason, but Howard has great value going forward.
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