The Chicago Bears saw significant contributions from rookies on offense, defense and special teams during the 2022 season, whether it was from draft picks or undrafted free agents.
The Bears drafted running back Trestan Ebner in the sixth round, where the expectation was he’d contribute as a return specialist and a reserve on offense. Ebner showed promise during training camp and the preseason with his explosiveness, but it didn’t necessarily translate to the regular season.
Let’s take a look back at Ebner’s rookie season and see what we can expect for the future.
2022 stats
- 24 carries, 54 yards, 2.3 yards per carry, 0 touchdowns
- 2 catches, 8 yards, 0 touchdowns
- 2 fumbles
2022 season review
Ebner didn’t have too much of an impact in his rookie season, where he served as a reserve at running back who didn’t see the field often. But when he did, Ebner struggled to take advantage of his opportunities that came when David Montgomery and Khalil Herbert dealt with their respective injuries. In fact, Darrynton Evans — who was behind Ebner on the depth chart — looked much better than him. Ebner averaged 2.3 yards per carry in his rookie season. He had 13 carries for 43 yards in two games earlier in the season, but he failed to get anything going for the duration of the season. Ebner failed to wow in the passing game — catching two passes (on eight targets) for eight yards — and that was one of his strengths coming out of college. While Ebner started the year returning kickoffs, his involvement in the return game waned The sixth-round pick has plenty to work on this offseason.
Best Game: at Giants (Week 4)
It’s hard to pick a “best game” for Ebner considering he didn’t get many opportunities on offense — and when he did, he had his share of struggles. But Ebner’s “best game” came in Week 4 against the Giants, where he saw increased action with David Montgomery sidelined with an injury. Ebner was an option behind Khalil Herbert, playing 23 percent of offensive snaps. Ebner had six carries for 20 yards (3.33 average) and two catches for eight yards. It wasn’t a world beater of a performance by any means. But it was his best in limited action. That is, minus his two fumbles.
2023 season outlook
Right now, Khalil Herbert and Ebner are the only two running backs on the roster. That will certainly change this offseason, whether it’s David Montgomery or someone else joining the roster to serve as a 1-2 punch with Herbert. Ebner had a rough rookie season, but he remains a work in progress. He should get some opportunities here and there, but he’s not expected to be a significant contributor in Year 2. Ebner started his rookie season returning kickoffs, but that fell off as the season progressed. With Velus Jones Jr. finding success in the kick return game, it’ll be interesting to see how Ebner is utilized both on offense and special teams.
2022 rookie reviews
We’re unveiling our rookie season reviews over the next week. Here’s a look at the rundown from the 2022 rookie class:
| S Jaquan Brisker | OT Braxton Jones | LB Jack Sanborn |
| CB Kyler Gordon | WR Velus Jones Jr. | P Trenton Gill |
| DE Dominique Robinson | RB Trestan Ebner | S Elijah Hicks (2/17) |
