D’Onta Foreman wasn’t with the Carolina Panthers for a long time, but it sure was a good time.
Foreman, who agreed to a one-year deal with the Chicago Bears this past week, starting settling into his new digs during his introductory press conference on Friday. To kick off his first question-and-answer session in the Windy City, the 26-year-old running back reflected on his time in Carolina.
“It was great,” he said. “I enjoyed my time in Carolina. Enjoyed my time with that team and everything we battled through—the ups and the downs to trades and everything that kinda came with that. I think my mentality was just go out there and be as productive as I can be. When I knew that I had an opportunity to kinda be the guy, take over and try to make some plays and try to do some things to help that team win—I just try to do it to the best of my ability.
“It was great for me. I was kinda able to reassert my myself and kinda some some eyes and let people see what I bring to the table—how good I can truly be given those opportunities. So I just wanna build on that. Make the team grow.”
The starting reins were handed over to Foreman beginning in Week 7, ones he proverbially and literally ran with. He finished the 2022 season having helped reestablish a ground-and-pound identity for a previously punchless offense—rushing for team-highs in yards (914) and touchdowns (five).
That opportunity presented itself following the team’s sudden trade of star Christian McCaffrey. And despite being teammates with two more potent rushers in fellow back Khalil Herbert and quarterback Justin Fields, Foreman isn’t preparing to take a backseat in Chicago either.
“I came here to try to be the guy,” he replied. “I think if I didn’t come in here with that mentality, that would be doing myself a disservice. I think I’ll be doing the team a disservice. All due respect. Humble confidence. Not trying to make it seem like anything other than exactly just what it is. That’s just me being confident in myself and feeling like that I can come in and be the guy.”
