Team news: Chicago Bears | Page 2

Roschon Johnson feels like a lock to be the Bears' short yardage/goal-line running back again this year, but also on third down (where he was utilized on 51% of offensive snaps in 2024). "I think it'll just help us out when we get in those tough games, when we get in those situations where we really need to home something in and scheme something up," Roschon Johnson said. "I think the playbook is definitely detailed enough for us to do that."

Related Players: D'Andre Swift, Kyle Monangai

This kinda squashes any hype surrounding Monangai, but as a seventh-round rookie, those expectations should have been tempered anyway. We could still see him rotated in, and Swift is still the No. 1 option, but this opens up some fantasy goodness for Johnson, who is being taken deep in the double-digit rounds, but could be an RB3/4 if the Bears offense gets rolling. We currently have him ranked as a low-end RB4.

Bears rookie wide receiver Luther Burden III is present for practice and in full pads.

Related Players: D.J. Moore, Rome Odunze, Olamide Zaccheaus, Tyler Scott, Devin Duvernay

Burden's got some time here to rev up to full speed, which makes this wide receiver room incredibly interesting. The rookie has been absent due to a hamstring issue, and now has the opportunity to push the veteran Zaccheaus for a role in 3WR sets. Burden is deep down our current WR rankings, but could begin the slow climb the more he gets integrated into the offense.

It’s cliché to choose the second-year, top-10 pick. But Rome Odunze’s rookie season seemed more disappointing than it actually was. He was fifth among rookies in receiving yards (734) and caught only 53.5 percent of passes thrown his way. However, Odunze served as an example of the inconsistency that plagued the 2024 Bears offense. — Kevin Fishbain

The story went on to say Odunze didn’t meet outside expectations, but it’s not because he was dropping passes or running poor routes. With a better scheme and improved quarterback play, he should take off in Year 2, according to Fishbain. Odunze will likely be a more popular pick this draft season.

The Lions have exercised the 2026 fifth-year team options on DE Aidan Hutchison and WR Jameson Williams.

Related Players: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Tim Patrick, Kalif Raymond, Tom Kennedy

Good news for fantasy, as there aren't many better places for Williams to be than alongside ARSB and Sam LaPorta clogging up the middle of defenses. Williams should continue to operate as a nice boom-bust WR3 option, even if the Lions tack on some WR talent through the NFL Draft.

D'Andre Swift was not listed among the Bears inactives for Monday Night Football.

Related players: Roschon Johnson, Travis Homer, Darrynton Evans

It's a tough matchup for Swift who should see a nice workload against the Vikings at least. Over the last three games, Swift hasn't gone over 40 yards rushing, averaging over 12 carries in that three-game span. He's also averaged a little over two receptions the last three games. Back on Nov. 24, Swift ran for 30 yards and had three catches for 35 yards against the Vikings. Johnson is inactive which leaves Homer and Evans behind Swift.

Injury report:
OUT
Ryan Bates
Elijah Hicks
Roschon Johnson

QUESTIONABLE
D.J. Moore
D'Andre Swift

Related Players: Travis Homer, Keenan Allen, Rome Odunze

Is it Travis Homer season? It certainly seems possible, and he should be snatched up just in case for teams desperate at the RB position.

Allen and Odunze would both get a hefty bump to their floor outcomes if Moore were to miss, as well.

The Lions are placing WR Kalif Raymond on Injured Reserve, source says, because of the foot injury he suffered last Sunday.

He's expected to return and could play again before the regular season finishes. Either way, he's almost certainly back for the playoffs.

Related Players: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Tim Patrick, Allen Robinson

We shouldn't expect too much of a boost for St. Brown/Williams here, but Tim Patrick should get some extra run as the team's WR3, which should get him 4-5 targets per game. That's not enough to put him on fantasy radars.

D'Andre Swift is questionable to play Vikings with a groin injury, though he was limited Thursday and a full participant on Friday.

Keenan Allen is questionable with an ankle injury. He was limited on Friday, his first day on the participation report.

Related Players: Roschon Johnson, Travis Homer, D.J. Moore, Rome Odunze

Separate reports called Swift "very likely" to play, but this is seemingly a new issue for Allen.

If Keenan were to miss Week 12, it would boost the floor of all pass-catchers, namely Moore, Oduzne, and Cole Kmet. Moore + Odunze would sneak closer to WR2 territory than their low-end WR3 designations they have with a healthy Allen.

Per Bears head coach Matt Eberflus: Ryan Bates remains in the concussion protocol. Elijah Hicks (ankle) and D'Andre Swift (groin) won't practice.

Teven Jenkins will be limited.

Related Players: Roschon Johnson, Travis Homer

This is definitely a situation to keep an eye on, as Johnson would have a huge workload if Swift were to miss Week 12. Homer has three rush attempts and zero targets on the year.

Sources: Shane Waldron is out as Bears offensive coordinator.

Related players: Caleb Williams

Thomas Brown is expected to take over. The Athletic reported today the team is also concerned about the regression of Williams now that we've hit the middle of the season. The Bears enter this week ranked 31st in offensive yards despite adding talent like wide receiver Keenan Allen and running back D'Andre Swift to go with D.J. Moore. If there isn't any kind of a turnaround to finish out the season, the Bears could be looking at a major overhaul with the coaching staff.