NFL free agency will be here before we know it, and the Chicago Bears have plenty of players set to hit the market. From key starters to valuable reserves, general manager Ryan Poles will have important decisions to make about who to bring back.
Here at Bears Wire, we’re going through each individual player and breaking down their 2022 performance and whether or not they fit in the Bears’ long-term plans.
Next up is fullback Khari Blasingame, the first fullback in Chicago in four years and who also played a key role in the Bears’ top-ranked rushing attack in 2022.
2022 review
Blasingame was signed to a one-year deal last offseason, becoming the first fullback on the team since 2018. And it was a great move for Poles. Blasingame didn’t record a single stat for Chicago, but he was a key component to the success of the Bears’ top rushing attack in 2022. Blasingame helped open up holes for Montgomery and Herbert, and he was a big reason why Chicago averaged over 150 rushing yards per game and found sustained success on the ground all year.
Positional need: Moderate
When looking at the running group as a whole, it’s near the bottom of the needs list for the Bears this offseason. Which speaks to just how many holes are on the roster. Khalil Herbert and Trestan Ebner are the only running backs on the roster with David Montgomery set to hit free agency. Poles said he’d like to bring Montgomery back — and Montgomery would like to be back — but it’s all a matter of finding common ground between both parties. Chicago has the resources to address the running back room, be it in free agency or the NFL draft, where there are some intriguing options across the board.
The future
While the 2022 season as a whole wasn’t a success — although it brought Chicago the No. 1 overall pick — the Bears’ run game was one of the bright spots. Blasingame was the lead blocker for the NFL’s best rushing offense, and as the old adage goes, if it’s not broken, don’t fix it. Given the importance of the run game in this offense, the Bears need to bring back Blasingame — unless they have a better option at fullback.
2023 free agency profiles
We’re highlighting the Bears’ most notable free agents set to hit the open market in March:
| David Montgomery | Nicholas Morrow | N’Keal Harry |
| DeAndre Houston-Carson | Riley Reiff | Byron Pringle |
| Sam Mustipher | Patrick Scales | Khari Blasingame |
| Angelo Blackson (3/2) | Matt Adams (3/3) | Michael Schofield (3/4) |
| Mike Pennel (3/5) | Joe Thomas (3/6) | Armon Watts (3/7) |
| Dane Cruikshank (3/8) | Ryan Griffin (3/9) | Dante Pettis (3/10) |
