The Chicago Bears have officially opened the 21-day practice window for running back Travis Homer to return from injured reserve, adding more fuel to the NFL rumors that fellow rusher Khalil Herbert could be moved at the trade deadline.
Speculation about Herbert’s trade status has been growing since the Bears effectively removed him from their offensive lineup. While Herbert entered the season as the presumed No. 2 back behind starter D’Andre Swift, he has played more snaps on special teams (64) than offense (27) over the first six games and has zero carries since Week 3’s loss to the Indianapolis Colts, having lost his spot in the rotation to Roschon Johnson.
Now, fresh off their bye week, the Bears have another back known for his special teams contributions in Homer nearing his return to the 53-man roster and must decide what to do about Herbert before the trade deadline at 4 p.m. Eastern Time on November 5.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Herbert has generated trade interest from teams in recent weeks. Minnesota-based reporter Darren Wolfson of KSTP 5 News also reported that the Vikings “had dialogue” with the Bears about a trade for Herbert and “preferred” to add him to their backfield before dealing with Houston for Cam Akers.
For Homer’s part in the equation, he practiced as a limited participant on October 23 in the Bears’ first practice ahead of Week 8’s game against the Washington Commanders. He had three carries for 16 yards and played more than 70% of special teams snaps in the first two games before he injured his finger at practice in Week 3 and landed on IR.
The Bears must still activate Homer to the 53-man roster before he can play again.
Khalil Herbert Makes Sense as Bears Trade Candidate
After playing the role of expected buyers at the last two NFL trade deadlines, the Bears have a much-improved roster in 2024 that could allow them to become sellers this year and move some of their space players — and none make more sense than Herbert.
Herbert has rushed for nearly 1,800 yards and scored 11 total touchdowns over his 48 career games for the Bears, but his disappearing act inside the 2024 offense signals that the team is not interested in re-signing him once his contract expires after the season. In that case, the best move for both Herbert and the Bears would be trading him at the deadline and giving him a jump on his fresh start while acquiring some draft capital.
The Dallas Cowboys continue to make sense as a logical trade partner for Herbert. Their offense is averaging just 77.2 yards per game through the first seven weeks, the worst average in the league. While Cowboys owner Jerry Jones might not want to swing for a heavy-hitter, he could justify a mid-to-late-round flier on a younger back like Herbert.
Bears Also Designate Larry Borom for Return From IR
According to the NFL’s official transaction wire for October 23, the Bears also opened the return window for offensive tackle Larry Borom, who began the season on injured reserve — with a return designation — after suffering an ankle injury in the preseason.
Borom has played in 39 games with 23 starts for the Bears over the past three seasons and should help fortify the Bears’ offensive tackle room that has struggled with depth during his absence. The Bears started working third-round rookie Kiran Amegadjie into the rotation once he fully returned from his quadriceps injury in Week 4, but he is still lacking in experience with just nine offensive snaps played over the past three games.
Once Borom returns to the roster, the Bears will have a firmer safety net behind starters Braxton Jones and Darnell Wright as they continue into the second half of the season. His activation could also force the front office to answer questions about its offensive line personnel — as in, whether benched veteran Nate Davis should stay on the roster
Like Heavy.com’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy.com
The post Bears Make Move at RB, Intensifying Khalil Herbert Trade Rumors appeared first on Heavy.com.